URock
by Kaori Yamashita
Summary: Nakahara Koemi's luck strikes as she steals Shining Saotome's attention and gets scouted by Saotome himself. Becoming a rising star, she discovers that music isn't the only thing that can rock her world.
1. Chapter 1: Daylight Breakout

**CHAPTER 1: Daylight Breakout**

Sigh, good morning to wonderful me. I can't believe it's raining today of all days; it's such a hassle to carry around a guitar and an umbrella at the same time. I probably should have gone with pants instead of a skirt...my legs are freezing, man. The rain better clear up by the time the music festival starts or else we're all screwed to the bones since it's an outdoor stage. The old geezers in charge of the festival must be fussing over about what they gonna do if the rain keeps up. Heh. Rain or shine, I'm still going to perform no matter what they say. If they decide to take the mic from me, I'd sing as loud as I can without it! I'm not going to let this weather put me down! I'll probably be the only performer who'd perform in this weather though. Oh well, more eyes and ears on me then; it's a perfect chance to publicize myself more for free. Heh.

Hah? An intersection? This isn't on the map the organizers gave me. I probably took a wrong turn somewhere but since I'm in the right area, I shouldn't be too far from the place. I'm not too familiar with this side of the town but I got nothing to fear as long as I have my guitar and there're people to ask directions from.

"S'cuse me. Yeah you, which way goes to the Shining MuFest?" Wait, did I come off too strong with my words?

"Y-Yes! U-Um..." the guy seems stiff and keeps looking from side to side.

Crap. I think I scared this guy or something. He better not run from me without telling me the directions. Do I really sound angry or scary most of the time? Urgh, it's probably the weather getting to me and that doesn't matter right now! I don't wanna be late darn it and I don't fancy the idea of getting soaked in the rain.

"So which way is it?" Answer me darn it.

Unintentionally, my voice came out louder and angrier than I thought. It doesn't help that my eyebrows are furrowed down and I unconsciously got a scowl on my face. This guy's getting more nervous by the second. C'mon just answer me before I lose my patience here, patience for you and for myself.

"T-Take the street on the left and j-just keep going straight until you see the b-big purple penguin."

"Purple penguin?"

"It's a m-mascot for the event."

Purple penguin? You gotta be kidding me. I'm already spending cash on Piyo-chan and now there's a purple penguin from Shining? I'm never gonna save money with all these cute things popping out of nowhere.

I find the guy staring at me in fear and confusion. I was lost in thought for a moment there.

"Hey."

"Y-Yes?!"

I find myself pausing for a moment before suddenly relaxing my expression, "...Thanks." I said in a calm voice.

I went on my way immediately and thank god I found the place. The purple penguin mascot was the first thing that greeted me and that sure made my day. I was so happy that I took a picture with it; this is definitely my new wallpaper.

I casually enter one of the tents found at the relief area that was labelled 'Performers'.

"Yo, Nakahara Koemi here at your ser—"

"NAKAHARA!"

"What the?! What the hell's your problem, lady?! Why'd you shout at me right in the ears for?! You want to make me lose my hearing?! Who are you anyway?"

The lady wearing corporate attire fixes her glasses a little and looks at me right in the eyes. Man, she's cold. You can feel an icicle hit you in an instant when she looks at you like that.

"My name is Rukawa Madoka, an agent or a manager from Shining Agency. I'm in charge of handling the outside performers like you so please do look for me if you have any concerns."

"Ah, okay. I'll remember that."

An awkward silence fills the atmosphere between me and her. Am I supposed to say something?

"...That's all you have to say?" She asks.

"Um...yeah. What else am I supposed to say anyway?"

"Usually people would ask some questions after introducing themselves or something."

"I don't have any questions to ask or anything to say though."

"Really?"

I shrug my shoulders.

She puts a hand over her forehead with an annoyed expression. "A lady like you should be more well-mannered."

"What are you saying?"

"The way you speak and move around is quite unpolished. It's as if you weren't taught manners by your parents, not to be mean, just saying."

"..." For a while, the cat caught my tongue. Was I insulted by her words? No, I'm not at all since her words hold some truth in them anyway. I hold nothing against her for saying that. "Say what you think; I may seem like that but that's only for show. I have to act the part or else I simply won't fit the image of a rock singer, right? I gotta tell you though, you're not that old but you sound and look like a mom."

"What?! I-I do not!"

I put a finger in one of my ears. "Yup, an uptight nagging mom right there. No doubt about it."

I pass thru her and head for an empty seat where I decide to practice my guitar. The annoying lady though comes back to me with an annoyed expression. I try to ignore her by playing my guitar right away.

"Nakahara Koemi. Born April 21, currently 21 years old, stage name is Eika, likes ice cream, plays tennis, favorite color is green, first gig was at a bar called Anathema, lives at..."

I quickly shut the file folder she was holding with all my might. I'm amazed at how she's able to keep her composure at my sudden action.

Woman, are you seriously going to read my whole application right here and now? You do know you're disclosing my personal information right out in public?! What is up with you?

She fixes her glasses a little and then looks at me with a straight face. "It's good that you're already here but I'm concerned about where your band mates are; I haven't seen them around at all."

"I don't have any of my own. Some of the other outside performers are going to play the drums, bass, and keyboard for me so don't fret about it; I've talked and approached some of them about it weeks before and we've practiced together so no worries."

"You don't have band mates? According to your application form, you wrote down that you're a band."

"I am a band—a one man band."

"Excuse me?"

"I can play the drums, keyboard, bass, and guitar. I usually play the guitar, bass, or keyboard live and the rest are pre-recorded for my gigs. You should come to one of my shows if you're free; I'd need the money hehe."

"I see. Why don't you get some actual band mates though? Wouldn't it be easier to have others play for and with you?"

I stop strumming my guitar and look at her with a small crooked smile, "This girl just isn't easy to handle. I'd be lucky to find people who'd be able to stay long with me. I take my passion seriously, you know. If they can't handle the fire then it's better to stay away from it."

She stares at me a little as I go back to playing my guitar. Thank god she leaves me alone after a while. Hello peace, I've missed you even though we've only parted for a while. All I need right now is just my guitar and the music I'll give for tonight's festival.

Actually, I feel like I need a sandwich too and some juice. Did I put the lasagna back inside the fridge before I left home? Crap. I don't remember. I hope I did.

Urghhhhh the convenience store was on the way! Why didn't I buy something earlier?! I guess I'll have to put up with the two packs of animal crackers in my bag until dinner time. Hm, is the agency going to provide us some food and drinks? If they will, I'll take advantage of the free food. Who doesn't take advantage of free food?

* * *

By the time the afternoon came, the rain thankfully stopped and went away. The cleaning crew did their job right away and the set up went on so fast that they all seemed like ants of a colony doing their thing. Finishing preparations within the three hours we had left before the music festival begins is amazing; just what I'd expect from Shining agency.

As I walk around the premises, I get caught from behind by the collar—literally.

"Nakahara, what are you doing?!"

"Walking around?"

"Why aren't you at the preparations tent?! You're supposed to get your hair and makeup done as well as to change into your performance outfit!"

"But I'm not performing yet until the evening—"

"Don't you know how many performers we have for the day?! We don't have as much stylists and makeup artists so if you don't get on queue now, you might not even have your turn before the time of your performance!"

"Chill! I have my outfit on already; I came in them to save the time from changing. I'll just fix my hair and put on makeup by myself later if the stations are busy."

Rukawa looks at me from top to bottom with such an irritated face. Does this woman not know what a smile is? I haven't seen her smile since I got here! Maybe she doesn't have the ability to smi—

"You have to be joking; you can't go on stage with such an outfit!"

"Eh?! What the hell is wrong with what I'm wearing?!" Urgh, this witch is facepalming again!

"Sigh. I know you have talent; you wouldn't have been accepted to perform in this festival without passing the auditions and screening from the project heads. However, in the entertainment industry, talent isn't enough. You have to look great at all times whether you're on stage or not. I'll tell you now that your outward appeal is nothing compared to everyone else. Your appearance makes me wonder who dressed you."

I feel like a rain of arrows just pierced me everywhere. Are you saying my sense of fashion is bad?! How dare you!? You can insult my singing, you can insult my personality but insulting my fashion sense will just call on a demon from inside me! I'm going to give you a piece of my mi—

"URK!"

"Now come! Time isn't cheap, you know."

She starts dragging me along by the collar. I feel like a puppy being dragged away by her owner...Wait! Why a puppy?! I'm a full grown dog! Wait! I'm not even a dog! I'm a human being!

"Hey! Let go!"

"Stop squirming and resisting; you'll get hurt if you do and I am not entertaining the idea of spending my salary on your medical fees if ever you break your neck."

Gods, this woman is so strong and cold!

"Wait! Stop dragging me! I can walk on my own!"

"With your walking speed, it'll be more efficient to drag you to the prep tent."

"Whaaa!" My neck hurts...help.

* * *

"Get in here!"

Madoka throws me right into a vacant room with full force. Thank god I fell onto a sofa. I would probably be out cold if I hit the floor or a wall!

"Wha—" Something hits me and renders me blind for a moment. I take off whatever was thrown to my face and see that they're clothing.

"Change into those within five minutes or so help me I'll dress you myself."

"O-Okay! Hold your horses! I'm changing! I'm changing!" she seriously hated the way I look, huh.

For all of my performances, I never really had anything as fancy as these clothes. Look at this top; it's like a military uniform that was combined with a kimono. The collar is filled with glitter and sequences that worked well with the embroidery design that flows around the collar. The cloth of the top was black with hints of white glitter and the tassels were white. The buttons seemed like golden stars that turned silver when you look at it from a different angle.

"Are you going to spend the next three minutes looking at those clothes or will you wear them?" A sudden voice cuts my thoughts.

"I'm wearing them!" There's no way I'm letting you dress me.

Racing against time, I quickly dress myself as if I was on fire.

Once I finished dressing up, I called Madoka to get back inside the room.

"There, are you happy now?" I say while flaunting the clothes she gave me.

"Hm, surprisingly it looks good on you. Now you look more like an idol or performer; that's more like it."

I dunno if she complimented me or still insulted me.

"Now that your clothes are settled, come this way."

Wha! She's pulling me by the collar again! Where are we going this time?!

"Urk!" Did she just throw me down onto a chair?!

The air smells of hair products and perfume. A lot of other performers are all being fixed up to perform on stage; this place is kind of cool with all the big mirrors and lights found on front of each chair.

"Yayoi-san, please fix this girl up with all you've got. Make sure she looks good enough to blend with everyone else. I'll leave her up to you."

A girl with a long bob appears from behind me and starts looking at my hair. "She's quite cute, Madoka-chan! I'll make sure she'll look great for her performance!"

"C-Cute?! I'm not cute! I'm not supposed to be cute!"

She pats my head with a big grin on her face. "There, there, no need to be shy. You're cute and there's nothing you can do about that except to accept the fact hehe. I'm going to make you look even better!"

"So what's your name, little cutie pie?" She asks with enthusiasm.

This woman is going to turn me blind; she's glowing with too much sunshine. "Um, Nakahara Koemi."

"Nico-chan! Such a cute name!"

"...Nico-chan?" You've got to be kidding me.

She stands on front of me and starts putting makeup on my face; she seems to be delighted doing her job. "Do you do your own makeup, Nico-chan?"

"Y-Yeah, I do my own makeup but all I can do are the basic stuff. I can't do anything complicated or as good as you professionals."

"I'd like to teach you about makeup then when you're free! You have good skin and you have a cute face; it would be fun to fix you up from time to time hehe."

"Well, I guess it won't be that bad?"

"Of course not! I will never allow any of my clients to look bad by one bit! My clients are my creations! I won't let them suck at any cost!"

"You're a determined cookie, aren't you?" I say with a crooked smile.

I decide to give in and let Yayoi do her thing to my face. I've got to hand it to her, she moves faster than the other makeup artists in the tent but doesn't lack or sacrifice the quality of the makeup at all; she's cool in her own way.

"And it's done! You look good with the makeup on, Nico-chan! See?"

She lets me look at the big mirror on front of me and to my surprise, I look great! No kidding!

"Is that really me I'm looking at?!" I point at the mirror in surprise.

"Yup! That is definitely you, my dear! Time to move on to your hair! Hmm, your hair is light brown. Is this your natural hair color?"

"My hair's naturally black."

"Awww, I can totally see you looking like a real beauty with black hair! Why did you color it?! A rocker would look nice with black hair too, you know!"

"Well, there were certain bars and places where they couldn't believe me that I was performer because I seemed 'plain' back then so I went thru different makeovers to be honest." I take a piece of my hair and look at it. "I also had to dye my hair to pretend I was a different person to get away with multiple venue reservations and to bypass some managers and owners too. The hardest to fool were shopkeepers; they have good memory and facial recognition skills."

"Shopkeepers?"

I tuck away the hair behind my ear. "I was a working student; I couldn't afford new guitars and other necessities with the money I had so I would ask for discounts, loans or have the stuff placed on my tab. Some of them were generous enough to let me ask for such things over and over again while the others weren't as flexible so I'd pretend to be another person each time I needed something from them."

"Whaaa sounds like you had it rough, Nico-chan. Couldn't you have asked for help from your parents?"

A lonely smile appears on my face. "They already left for a long term trip back then."

"Oh, I see. When did they return? Did they help you when they came back?"

"They still haven't come home until now. Anyway, they probably won't be coming back."

"Eh? Why not?"

"KYAAAAAAA!"

Screams of women and men suddenly fill the area. The audience have such powerful screams; the prep tent is all the way here at the back of the stage.

"Oh, they've started the program! We'll be hearing a whole lot more screams of joy and excitement from now on, Nico-chan. Do your best out there so that you'd get some fans, okay? Hehe."

"Of course I'll get fans!"

"That's the spirit! Take the opportunity to get more famous and to make connections!"

Yayoi continues on doing her job with my hair. It's been a long time since I've had anyone do my hair and makeup; it feels strange. Will things be like this if I ever get a leap in fame? It's not that bad. It will surely lift off some load on my shoulders; it's bad enough I carry and set up all of my equipment when I have gigs. Sigh, why is life so hard? Haha.

"There we go! Look at you, Nico-chan!" she puts her hands on my shoulders and smiles as she looks at the mirror on front of us.

"What the..." Is that really me?! Holy cows, I look great! No kidding! I've never looked this good before!

"I gave your hair some volume since your hair is so fine. Spiked it a little on some parts and gave you some nice little braids here on the left side. I made your bangs go a little to the side so that they'd look good without getting in your way. To compliment the little braids I made, I braided one section of your hair here on the right side. Do you like it?"

"I don't like it. I love it."

"Kyaaa! Thank you for your praise!" she says happily. "I also like what I did with your makeup. The eyeliner is strong and foxy and your lips aren't too pale. Your facial features were fun to work with; you ended up looking a little androgynous and I think it suits you!"

Yayoi sure is enthusiastic about makeup and styling; she went on and on about everything about them. Though I wasn't that interested, I wasn't going to be a jerk and ignore her; I tried my best to listen to everything she had to say. It's always enjoyable to listen to people talk about their passion with such energy and light in their eyes. It's amazing how they turn from little sparks into fireworks in an instant. They're precious people that we should take care of and never ignore; they're the ones that never cease to surprise us in our everyday lives.

"Yayoi, I need to use the ladies' room. Where do I find it?"

"Just leave the prep tent then go left towards the backstage. There's a hallway on the right side; go thru there then you'll see a door along the hall with the ladies' sign."

"Roger that, I'll be right back."

"Hurry back if you can! I want to fix your makeup and hair a little more!"

I remove the cloth that covers me and hand it to Yayoi. "Don't worry, I'll let you have your way with me when I return."

...Wait. What did I just say?

Yayoi shouts and it attracts everyone's attention in the prep tent. I try to calm her down but I'm not doing very well with it.

She suddenly throws her arms around me and hugs me tightly. "Nico-chan! You can take me or let me eat you!"

Her loud comment attracts even more attention and I could hear whispers in the air. Buddha, this is trouble...

"Uhm...Sorry, that's a, um, force of habit from the person who taught me image building. It's weird, I know."

"It's okay! I don't mind you acting that way! It makes you look and sound so cool! You can even make the heart of young maiden like mine leap out! Kyaaa! You'll surely be attractive to both men and women!"

I let out a sarcastic laugh. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. Haha...ha.

I make my way towards the entrance of the prep tent. The moment I step out, I bump into a tall man.

"Oh, sorry about that. I wasn't looking."

The tall man looks at me and I ended up staring back. His spiky hair is silvery white and his eyes—they're of different colors. Are they natural? I think he's wearing one contact lens for the other eye. Even though he's only wearing a white t-shirt and black pants, he sure looks so cool...aesthetic! Is he also into rock music? He looks like he does.

"Just make sure you watch out next time." He says with his raspy voice.

Hm, his voice sounds familiar. I feel like I know who he is but it's at the back of my mind. He should be under Shining agency since he's here.

"Can you move aside?" he suddenly asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Ah, yeah. Sorry." I give way for him to pass and he casually passes me without looking back. This guy sure is cool; I like the way he carries himself. I wonder what he's like on stage. If he's into rock like me, then I'd have to consider him as a rival in the industry! I'm not going to let myself be left behind in the world of music; I'll work and play even harder if I have to.

* * *

"Nakahara, you better eat as much as you need. You need to be able to perform just as well as the others on stage! Just because you're the last performer doesn't mean that you can slack off."

"Yeahm...I getch it, Madocha...Donch worry sho much...My performance ish good, chu know..."

"Please don't talk with your mouth full, Nakahara. It's improper."

I knew it! They provided food for everyone! Shining agency should become the deity of food if they can give this much food!

"Just four more performances before it's your turn. We'll go to the backstage position once the third performer finishes his performance so that you can enter right after the fourth one."

"Okay, rojar that."

"I just told you not to talk with your mouth full."

I decide not to talk and just nod in response when I saw her form a fist on her lap. Madoka is such a strict manager. I feel sorry for the idols who're under her management; they must have it rough. If I had a manager, I sure wish he or she would be more lenient and be nothing like her.

I don't mind waiting for my turn to perform but I didn't expect to wait this long. The line up of performances starts off with the performers from Shining Agency followed by us who came from outside the agency. Our order of performance was decided thru lottery and well, I got the shorter end of the stick; I'll be performing last for the festival so I'm gonna be on standby for a long while.

I look at Madoka who's sitting beside me at the eating area; she already ate earlier so she's only having coffee while looking thru her folder filled with files. I don't mind some company to talk to but...why does it have to be her? Couldn't I be given someone who's more, well, sociable and kind or something? Sigh. I'm out of luck for almost everything today. I bet the only good thing that'll happen tonight would be my performance on stage.

"Nakahara."

I quickly swallow the food that was in my mouth. "Yeah?"

"What made you decide to become a performer?"

"I've loved music ever since. I had my first band in high school but my so-called band mates didn't last and I ended up becoming a soloist. I remember I told my parents that if I wasn't going to push thru with becoming a zoologist or botanist, I was considering becoming a performer and they were okay with it."

"You like science?"

"Yup. Believe it or not, I'm a nerd haha. Looks can be deceiving."

"So why didn't you pursue science?"

"Well, some stuff happened here and there so I ended up becoming a performer."

"You can be quite vague, do you know that?"

"I'm used to people telling me that."

"Have you tried talking with the other performers? Even those from Shining agency?"

"I have. A lot of them are really fun to talk to and are nice but there are a few that are really annoying. Oh, there was this one guy—long haired, tall, and seems to be a foreigner, who was pretty annoying! When I tried to talk to him, he practically ignored me at first. Then when I told him that I was a rocker, he started bothering about it! He was saying stuff like rock wasn't music and that it was for monkeys and uncivilized people! That guy really made me want to strangle him! ARRRGH!"

"Could you stop raising your voice at me? Also, stop swinging and pointing your utensils around; you're getting food on me."

"What's his problem with rock music?! What is his problem?! I may not like classical music that much but you don't see or hear me going around saying bad stuff about it as if it was the word of the devil!"

"Yes, yes, please settle down already."

I take a deep breath and sit down. I drown my anger with the pleasure of the wonderful food that's on front of me.

"Nakahara, you sure can eat a lot. Don't you worry about gaining too much weight?"

"I don't really worry about my weight sine I have a fast metabolism. I actually have a harder time gaining weight instead of losing. Aside from my fast metabolism, my regular eating habit is bad enough."

"Your eating habit?"

"I actually only eat one to two meals a day because I usually don't feel hungry. I don't eat breakfast because it's either I sleep in and wake up in the afternoon or it's because I have no time for it because of my part-time jobs. Dinner is optional for me; I eat dinner only if I feel really hungry or if I'm not lazy enough to cook or buy food but I usually just skip and go straight to bed."

"What on earth is wrong with you? You're going to starve yourself to death that way."

"Meh."

Madoka suddenly takes a spoon and starts adding food on my plate.

"How about you? How did you end up as a manager at Shining agency?"

"I ended up working for Shining agency because of a high school friend of mine."

"High school friend? Is he or she a manager in the agency too?"

Madoka nods her head. "That's right, he's a manager of Shining agency too."

"Oh, so he's a dude?"

"Back in the day he wanted to become an idol but after tasting what it was like to be a manager, he liked it and requested the agency to let him become a manager instead of an idol after graduating from Saotome academy."

"So how did he make you into a manager?"

"Well, he was given a project by Saotome himself and then when the day of execution came, he got sick. He called me and asked me to take his place which by the way was annoying and selfish of him to put me on the spot all of a sudden. Saotome was on site and saw my performance. He said it was impressive that I was able to study and to remember all of the materials in a day and that my execution was great so he asked me to become a manager for his agency. I was hesitant at first but decided to take the job after he told me how much I'd be earning."

"Haha. Money pulled you in."

"It sure did but I have no regrets. It's fun managing the talents and events of the agency. I'm having fun and earning well so what's there to complain about, right?"

"I guess so. I think it's great to be able to work while having fun; you won't feel like you're enslaved by your job."

Madoka nods in agreement.

After filling myself up with the power of food, Madoka leads me to a small lounge at the backstage where we waited for the performances to finish. There was a flat screen tv where I could watch whoever was on stage. I wasn't able to watch the performances of those who were from the agency since I was held up at the prep tent and by Madoka so the performances I was watching at the lounge were those from outside performers like myself. They're not bad but to be honest, I feel like I'm better than them haha; I'll definitely outshine them.

"What are you grinning about, Nakahara?"

"Nothing. Don't mind me." Just thinking about how they'll seem lame after I perform haha.

"Maybe I should suggest to the president about having psychological tests for applicants next time." Madoka whispers to herself. "Then again, the president himself might not pass the tests either...How troublesome."

" _How are you all tonight? Are you all still alive and having fun? Can I hear you guys scream?_ " the emcee says. " _The music festival sure is great, isn't it? It makes me want to stay longer but sadly we'll be having our last two performances. Thank you so much for coming today so please enjoy until the very end!_ " the crowd cheers loudly while swinging their light torches in the air.

"Nakahara, let's go to the backstage upstairs."

"Alright! It's show time!" Well, after the person who's performing before me.

While waiting for my turn, I take a peek thru the curtains and I'm overwhelmed by the size of the crowd. There're so much people! I've never performed on front of so much people before! Instead of getting cold feet, it just makes me more excited about performing; I'm getting pumped up to go on stage! I'll make sure to burn my song into their heads so they'd never forget!

" _Wasn't that a great performance, everybody? Thank you so much, Todokoro-san! Now for our last performance for the day, we'll be giving you an all out powerful rock song from an independent performer! Let's give her a round of applause!"_

"You're up, Nakahara. The people who are playing for you are already in position so you're the only one they're waiting for now."

I give Madoka a thumb up. "I'll make sure to knock them out and make it a performance they'll remember."

I swipe the curtain on front of me to the side and walk towards the center of the stage, brimming with enthusiasm and confidence.

" _I introduce to you, Eika!_ " the emcee leaves the stage right after introducing me.

The crowd applause for a while and then stop to give way for me to start. All of the lights turn off for a moment. The night gets darker and darker but I don't feel lost because in the darkest hours, I'm led by the light of those who listen to my music.

I gently lift the guitar that hangs on me.

Look at those lights right there on front of me; they're like stars that came down from heaven for me. I feel great whenever I see those lights. It reminds me that I'm alive and standing right here, right now. It reminds me that I didn't die then together with everyone else. Whether that's bad or good, I don't know.

What I do know is that I should repay everyone for showing me their light. The best way to do that is to gather them all in harmony and turn them into one giant constellation that'll hang up there in the sky no matter what!

With no hesitation, I strike a couple of chords to give 'em a taste of what's coming.

You all better get ready for me!

"Brace yourself." I whisper on the mic amidst the darkness and silence.

The second guitar and drums start to play and after a few notes, several lights suddenly burst on with the first note of the bass.

A loud scream escapes my mouth causing the audience to raise their hands up with a cheer.

 ** _BREAKOUT! (BREAKOUT!)_**

 ** _C'mon breakout!_**

 ** _BREAKOUT! (BREAKOUT!)_**

 ** _C'mon breakout!_**

 ** _YEAH!_**

At first, the song will come out strong; strong enough to attack you. A wonderful instrumental part will then follow, allowing you to enjoy the spirit and strength of the guitars, drums, bass, and keyboard.

The moment the lyrics start, you won't have time to breathe. You won't be able to breathe even if you wanted to. It will be as if you're stuck in the air, unable to get down.

I take a deep breath and clutch the mic tightly.

 ** _You've gotta be kidding me_**

 ** _Why are you drowning so deep?_**

 ** _You gonna let your soul sleep in this heaven forsaken cage?_**

 ** _A lousy lil' renegade_**

 ** _Your one and only way to escape_**

 ** _Now it's time to break and burn towards the rising daybreak_**

 ** _Heaven gave you wings_**

 ** _So fly away, fly fly away_**

 ** _Reach out and take out_**

 ** _Break a fight, fight fight today_**

 ** _Before the daylight hits these eyes that sleep before it_**

 ** _You gotta bring your game_**

 ** _You gotta break the cage_**

 ** _You gotta tear and soar!_**

"This kid's not bad. She sure can perform." Madoka says to herself as she watches from the backstage.

Hm?

*ring ring ring*

She takes out her cell phone from her blazer's pocket.

"The president's calling? Is there a problem?"

She presses the answer button.

"Rukawa, speaking. What made you call, president?"

" _Ms. RRRRRukawa! I need you to do something for me._ "

"What is it, sir?"

" _After the festival ends, please escort Ms. Eika to my limo at the parking lot. I will wait for you two there._ "

"Eh?! What's this about, sir?!"

Madoka listens intently to Shining Saotome's words.

"WHAT?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

 ** _There's nothing to hold you, there's nothing to stop you_**

 ** _Death will never call you (catch you) or touch you, believe you_**

 ** _The day you escape crowned as king of the heavenly bodies_**

 ** _(Break Free!)_**

 ** _Just fight! (Fight!) Daylight Breakout!_**

"No, sir! I have no objections but—! Yes, I can see your point however—! Yes...Yes...That's true, however—!"

" _Then there is nothing more to discussss. I will wait for you and Ms. Eika. That's all I have to say; see you laterrrrr!_ "

"Sigh...Yes sir, I'll bring Ms. Eika to you later. We'll go see you after the festival's closing remarks."

Madoka ends the call and puts away her cell phone back in her blazer's pocket. She looks at Koemi performing on the stage for one last time before heading to the preparation tent.

 ** _BREAKOUT! (GET OUT!)_**

 ** _Remember this prison break!_**

 ** _BREAKOUT! (GET OUT!)_**

 ** _Remember this name!_**

 ** _DAYLIGHT! (BREAKOUT!)_**

This is a lot of fun! The crowd ain't bad; they're reacting very well. It feels great to be on this stage. I feel so alive.

As the last word of the lyrics escapes my mouth, a grand instrumental plays to conclude the song which was cheered on until the very last note.

I take one good look at the audience and it fills my heart to see them all so happy and lively. They're so noisy that I can't hear myself think.

The emcee enters the stage. " _Let's give another round of applause for Eika! What a stellar and powerful performance! You're a new and refreshing element today! Can we have a few words from you, Eika-san?_ "

"Well, I'd like to thank everyone here for being a wonderful audience tonight!"

The crowd cheers.

"To be honest, this is the first time I've performed for such a huge crowd; I was a little nervous but more of excited. I'm happy and thankful to be given the chance to perform on this stage and be heard by everyone. Did you guys enjoy?"

The crowd loudly says yes.

" _It looks like everyone loved your performance! Are you currently signed to any agency? Where can we see you perform?"_

"I'm freelance at the moment. I'd like to be able to tell you guys where I perform but I don't really have a permanent place for my gigs. All I can say is that I perform in bars and events that allows me to perform; I also perform on the streets sometimes haha. I guess our next encounter will be a Russian roulette!"

" _Oh? Is that so? I guess we'll be lucky to be able to find you next time then! Do apply again to perform in next year's music festival! Do you guys want Eika-san to come back next year? Oh! Everyone loves you, Eika-san! Hahaha!_ "

"How sweet of you guys! I love ya all too! Haha! Thanks for all the support and fun you've given me tonight!"

" _Well, the night is still quite young but sadly we've reached the end of this year's music festival! Let's call everyone back on stage and give them one last round of applause!"_

All of the idols and singers that performed today come out from the back and fills the stage. The crowd becomes even louder as they see their favorites wave and smile at them.

" _In behalf of Shining Agency and everyone who came here today to make you all smile, thank you very much for spending this day with us! We hope you enjoyed this year's music festival and we hope to see you once again next year! Thank you and have a great evening!"_

"Thanks, you guys!" I shout aloud from the stage together with everyone else.

As everyone is still saying their thanks and goodbyes, I look around the stage; I try to take a good look at everyone who performed today. There are a lot of hot shots from Shining agency but there are also a lot of people who are outsiders like me. Oh, there's the guy I bumped into earlier; the one with silvery white hair. So I was right after all! He is from Shining agency! Now that I think about it, I think he's from that four man group. What was the group's name? I think it was Quartet Night? I remember now! He's Kurosaki Ranmaru!

I should take this chance to introduce myself! Gotta make good connections! What should I—

"Nakahara."

"Eh? Madoka? What are you—"

"This way, please."

She pulls my arm and drags me away from everybody.

Damn it, here I thought I'd make some connections in Shining agency! Madoka is such an expert in blocking everything!

* * *

Learning from my experience from earlier today, I just went along with Madoka without resisting. She brought me to the parking lot where a black limo was parked.

"Uh...Madoka, am I being kidnapped?"

"Nonsense. Just get in."

She opens the back door of the limo and I look at her with a strange expression. You totally sound like a kidnapper with those words and forceful tone.

I reluctantly get in and she follows after.

"GOODEVENINGGGGGG, MS. EIKAAAA!"

"WHA!" I get surprised by the sudden loud greeting.

"Sigh. Good job in surprising her, President Saotome."

"HAHAHAHA! I'M NATURALLY GREAT WITH SURPRISES, MS. RUKAWA! HAHAHAHA!"

"Wait...Saotome? As in Shining Saotome?!" I ask in disbelief.

"That's right. Nakahara, meet the former idol, founder of Saotome Academy, and Shining Agency—Shining Saotome."

My mouth hangs a little open in surprise.

I'm actually talking to Shining Saotome...This has to be a dream. I just know that this has to be a dream. I can't be this lucky, right?!

"Nakahara, close your mouth." Madoka says sternly.

Too happy to get angry, I obediently close my mouth and sit upright.

"So...uh, why am I here?" I ask awkwardly while containing my happiness. "Did I do something wrong? Is this about my performance?! Did I perform poorly? I'm sorry!"

"HAHAHAHA! Calm down, Ms. Eika! Your performance was very good! I enjoyed watching you shine on the stage!"

He was watching my performance?! I feel honoured!

Saotome takes out a thick stack of papers and hands them to me.

"What are these?" I ask as I take the papers from him.

"Ms. Eikaaaa, what you have there is a contract."

"Contract?"

"YESSSS! A contract that will let you be handled by Shiningggggg Agency!"

"EH?!"

I quickly flip the pages of the papers and right there on the top of each page with bold letters, "Shining Agency Contract".

"The president took interest in you while he was watching your performance. He called me to bring you here to him after the closing remarks to ask you to become an idol under Shining Agency." Madoka says.

"Your perrrrrformance illuminated the darkness of the night, Ms. Eika! Aside from producing your own light, you were able to gather everyone's light and formed one giant source of light! The intensity of your song captured everyone; I almost let myself be completely caught by you too! I knew then that you were suited to be a member of Shining Agency! If you join us, you can continue to shine brilliantly and reach higher levels of different fields! You can continue to captivate people with your songs at a wider rangeeee!"

Madoka takes out a pen from her blazer's pocket and hands it to me, "All you have to do is to sign the papers and you'll be officially under Shining Agency. It's your choice to sign them or not; think carefully so that you won't have any regrets."

I take the pen from her and look thru the papers. Hmm the working conditions and benefits are good and the work schedule is pretty much flexible. Shining Agency takes good care of their idols so I have no worries to be honest but...

"I have some questions and conditions to bargain." I say to Saotome.

"Ohhh? I'd like to hear them, Ms. Eika. I'm all ears."

"I can resign from the company anytime?"

"Yes."

"I have the right to refuse certain jobs if I feel uncomfortable or just don't like it?"

"As long as it's reasonable, yes."

"Okay." I put the papers on my lap and look at Saotome. "I think it would be stupid to refuse an offer from you. I'll sign the contract if you'll agree to three things."

"And what may they be, Msssss. Eika?" he asks with a grin.

"First, I refuse to live at the agency's dormitory. I wanna stay at my current apartment."

"You can certainly stay at your own apartment, Ms. Eika. There's no problem with that."

"Good. Second, I want to be 1000% ensured that I will have no work during the second and third Fridays of a month unless it's really important like a live concert, event, or anything like that."

"That's quite a tall request." Madoka says.

Saotome is quiet; the old man is probably thinking about it. If he disagrees to this, I can't accept their offer for me to be under their agency since that condition is important.

"SO what's your verdict, Saotome?" I ask after a while.

"Hmmmmmm, that request is quite interesting. May I know the reason behind it?"

I cross my arms over my chest and smile, "It's something you don't need to worry about."

"Hm..."

"Well, if you I can't have those days free, I guess I'll be on my way now." I take hold of the limo's door.

"I have decided." Saotome suddenly says. "I'll let you have those days off unless there are important events on those days. I shall agreeeee to your conditions, Ms. Eika."

"Is that so? Glad to hear that, old man." I say happily with a wide grin.

Suddenly, a fist comes down to the back of my head with full force.

"OUCH!" I cry out loud as I hold my head. "WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!" I shout at Madoka.

"Show some respect for the president! Don't just call him 'old man' all of a sudden!" She says sternly.

"HAHAHAHAAA! It's okay, Ms. Ruuuuukawa! I don't mind at all! Ms. Eika is quite a lively one, isn't she?" he laughs.

With a smile on my face, I spin the pen in my left hand and sign the contract papers one by one.

"And that's the last! Here you go, _president_." I say happily as I hand over the papers to Saotome.

"Thhhhhhhank you, Ms. Eika! Welcome to Shining Acgency! HAHAHAHAHAHA! It's a pleasure to have you in our team!"

"I look forward to workin' with everyone. Take care of me from now on." I lower my head a little. "So when do I start?" I excitedly ask.

"Your work will start right away after we've assigned a manager to handle you." Madoka says. "Your manager will be finalized by tomorrow so expect your first job to come around the day after tomorrow."

"Huh, okay." So it's gonna take two days before I actually start working; I thought the pace would be practically instant but I guess I expected too much?

"Exxxxxcuse me, Ms. Rukawa. I forgot to mention in my phone call earlier that I actually have chosen someone already to be Ms. Eika's manager."

"Oh? Handpicked by the president? You are lucky, Nakahara; I'm sure the person that the president chose is a capable manager that will certainly help you in your career. I hope you'll get along with your manager."

Saotome starts laughing all of a sudden.

"Um, did I say something funny, sir?" Madoka asks in confusion.

"Not intentionally, Ms. Rukawaaa...considering that you are the one I've chosen to be Ms. Eika's manager."

"Oh, ok. I see..." She fixes her blazer a little.

"WHAT?!" She and I shouted in unison.

"WAIT! You're telling me that my manager is this uptight nagger?!" I say in a panicked tone.

"SIR! THERE HAS TO BE A MISTAKE!"

"There is no mistake here, Ms. Rukawa. We've both read her application form and track records and based on her records alone, you are the most suited to keep an eye on her and you are the most capable in taking care of any incident that may haaaappen. Plus, you're very organized and persuasive! Jussssst the type of manager Ms. Eika would need!" he throws some confetti into the air over Madoka.

"BUT SIR!"

"May I remind you, Ms. Rukawa, of the trouble you gave me back when you were still new to the agency; have you forgotten about that?" he smiles.

Madoke suddenly becomes quite and sits obediently. What is Saotome talking about? I'm getting interested in this haha. Maybe Madoka screwed up big time when she was a newbie? Hahaha.

"Fine. I'll be Nakahara's manager..."

"Everything is settled then!" Saotome says cheerfully. "Ms. Eika, do you have any plans for the evening?"

"Hm, I don't have any. I was planning to go straight home."

"W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L!" he snaps his fingers and the limo suddenly zooms away.

"W-Wha! Where are we going?! Why is the driver driving so fast?! Why aren't you flying out of your seat?!"

"What's the meaning of this, president?!"

Madoka and I struggle to keep ourselves on our seats as we try to fasten our seat belts.

"Where else are we going? We're off to your contract signing party to celebrate the fact that you are now under Shining Agency! Hahahaha!"

"P-Party?! Now?! You planned this all along! You probably would have forced me to sign if I refused to!"

Saotome doesn't comment and just laughs all the way to the venue of the party.

"KUMAGAI, I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT! SLOW DOWN OR I'LL KILL YOU!" Madoka shouts at the top of her lungs.

The car continues to race thru the road leaving me and Madoka clinging onto our seats for our lives. I wonder how on earth is Saotome able to laugh all the way without falling off his seat.


	2. Chapter 2: A Place for Two and a Half

**CHAPTER 2: A Place for Two and a Half**

*meow meow meow*

"Urghh..."

*meow*

"Hnn...Nao...It's still early in the morning...I don't need to wake up yet."

*meow meow*

"Urgh...stop poking...and rubbing my face..."

*meow meow meow*

He starts poking my face with his soft paw even more.

"Hn...come here...you..."

With my eyes slightly open, I take my little orange tiger in my arms and close my eyes to go back to sleep.

*ding dong ding dong*

"Ugh...what now? Why won't the world let me sleep?! Urgh, for Buddha's sake...Who would visit my apartment this early in the morning?!"

*meow*

"Yeah you're right, Nao. Who would even come visit me anyway? It better not be a salesman; I'll kill him for waking me up this early in the morning. Do they even work at this hour?"

The doorbell persistently rings over and over again. I'm compelled to get out of bed.

*meooow*

"Urgh! I'm coming! I'm coming! Be patient will ya?!" I grumble as I get out of bed. Nao follows me as I go for the door.

I swing the door open with full force, "Now listen here! Do you know what time it is?!—"

"It's precisely 6:45 in the morning. If you ask me, it isn't that early considering an idol's day would usually start by 6:00am. Look at you, all messy. Quite unruly bed hair you have there. You should be presentable at all times. What if the media were to see you like this? It would be bad for your image. "

My eyes suddenly pop open and my whole body wakes up in an instant.

"MADOKA?!" I shout while pointing at her.

"How noisy. You'll disturb the other neighbors that way and also pointing at people is rude."

She invites herself into my apartment with a couple of bags.

"What are you doing here, Madoka?! What's the meaning of this?!"

She places her bags at the side of the hallway. "Considering that you live quite far away, I think it's impressive that you get to make it to your gigs in time. Do you take the train often?"

"Uh, I take the train all the time—Wait! Don't change the topic! What are you doing here?!"

"Well, from this day onwards, I'll be living here in your apartment."

"WHAT?!"

No no no no no no no no no, this has to be a nightmare! That's right! I'm probably still asleep having this ridiculously realistic nightmare! In fact, if I touch her right now, my hand would just slip thru...

I reach out for Madoka's shoulder.

"Hm? Was there something on my shoulder?"

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA IT'S REAL! SHE'S REAL! THIS ISN'T A NIGHTMAREEEE! IT'S WORSE! IT'S REALITY!

"As your manager, I must be close and accessible to you at all times. Also, it's a hassle for me to go back and forth from the agency to your place whenever I need to give you the papers and contracts of the job offers you'll receive; it's a waste of time and gas. I got permission from the president to live with you and to do my work here instead of at the agency."

"You asked permission to live in MY apartment from SAOTOME but not ME?!"

"So where can I stay? Do you have a spare room in this apartment?"

"Hey! Don't ignore my questions!"

*meow*

Nao goes to Madoka and starts purring as he rubs himself against Madoka's leg.

"...You own a cat?!"

"Yeah, I do. His name is Nao. Don't worry, he doesn't scratch or bite people unless threatened or hurt. He's also fully vaccinated and goes to the vet for a check up on a regular basis."

Madoka's expression is filled with disgust and discomfort as she looks down at Nao who keeps rubbing against her leg and purring happily.

"Hey, look at that. Seems like the little guy likes ya."

"...I hate cats."

"Eh? Really?"

"...I hate cats and dogs."

"Seriously?! How could you hate such cute and awesome creatures? Are you an animal hater or something like that?! What else is wrong with you?!"

"I don't hate all animals. In fact, I'm fond of birds. I just can't bring myself to like cats and dogs...And what do you mean by 'what else is wrong' with me?!"

"That's too bad. Nao seems to like you a lot. Hehe." I point at him who keeps on purring by Madoka's leg.

"Urgh...How unfortunate of me then."

She starts looking around my place, seemingly curious of the layout. I pick up Nao as I follow her.

My apartment isn't that big at all since I live by myself and I don't really earn enough money to get a bigger place. Basically this place has four rooms—the living room which has a kitchen at the side, two small bedrooms, and a bathroom with a toilet.

"Nakahara, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Where do you sleep? I saw the bathroom and obviously the living room. One of the two rooms had all your instruments inside; I'm guessing that's your work space. The other room seemed like a storage room with a couple of boxes inside."

"Oh, I sleep here in the living room on the floor with Nao."

*meow*

"You sleep here?! Why won't you use one of the bedrooms?"

"Well, I figured a work room was a must for me and then I kind of had no place to put my other things so I placed them in boxes and stored them in the other room; they couldn't fit in the utility closet of the living room since that's where I kept the vacuum cleaner and washing machine."

"Don't you get cold sleeping here? Isn't it uncomfortable too?"

"Not really, I'm fine sleeping on the floor. Since I don't have a futon, I use a pillow for my head and then slip my body under the kotatsu to keep warm on cold nights. It also helps that I sleep with Nao in my arms so I get to have some added warmth and fluff!"

"You don't even have a futon?!"

"I got no place to store it and it probably would take too much space here in the living room."

"Hmm, I'm starting to feel like I'm imposing too much on you by living here."

"Haha, kind of but if you really have to, you can have the storage room. I'll probably just move the boxes to the work room and keep a few somewhere here in the living room."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'm going to start setting up my area."

I put Nao down. "I'll get the boxes out."

"No need. Since you don't have a spare table, I could put the boxes on top of each other to use as a table or desk."

"Ohhh! Smart idea you got there. That's fine; the boxes don't have anything fragile in them."

"Okay. Now if you'd excuse me."

She goes off to take her bags and heads on towards the extra room.

*meow*

I stand outside the door of the storage room.

"Do you need help in there?"

"No need. I'll be done within an hour or so."

"Uh, okay."

I can't believe she'll be living here in my apartment from now on. The place feels even more cramped all of a sudden. I've been living alone with just Nao in this not so big humble apartment; having someone else move in makes it feel smaller all of a sudden. I hope she'd be bearable to live with. OH SNAP! That means I'll probably be waking up early everyday from now on! You've got to be kidding me! Urgh...I need to crawl back to bed and savor my last day as a free woman! But crap, there's already daylight; I can't sleep when it's bright or as long as there's any light! Hm, I could cover my head to block all light...but then Madoka would probably just wake me up anyway! Urrrrgh. Screw sleep; sleep is for the weak. Sigh.

"Oh, hey Madoka, have you eaten breakfast yet?" She did come so early so it makes me wonder if she actually ate before coming here.

"I didn't know you could be a nice proper woman."

"What did ya say?!"

*meow*

"Well, I haven't eaten since I had to leave my place early to get here."

"I'll cook us some breakfast then. Do you have any requests?"

"You can cook? I hope you can make edible food."

"OF COURSE! I'M A GOOD COOK YA KNOW!"

"If you say so. I'm fine with anything; you decide on what to cook."

"Okay. I'll make sure you'll be impressed with my cooking! You're definitely going to praise me!"

* * *

I hear Nakahara's footsteps move away from the door. Considering that she lives alone, I'm sure her cooking skills are fine. I've got to admit though that she seems to be good at housekeeping; I noticed right away that her place was clean and organized the moment I stepped inside. Even this storage room is clean. I don't need to clean up and just go straight to setting my things up.

Something does bother me though. In her profile, it says that her family consists of three members—her mother, father, and herself. It did say on the form that she lives alone however when I entered the apartment, I didn't see a single picture of her parents; there are no pictures around at all not even of herself. Could she be in bad terms with her parents? I remember Yayoi telling me that Nakahara's parents are out for a long term trip and haven't returned. I wonder if that means something deeper. It could also be that perhaps she doesn't like photos? Maybe she thought buying photo frames would be an additional expense? Perhaps I'm just thinking too much again. Maybe I'm just being influenced by that drama series I was watching on television last night. Gods, if only I was Yamashita Kaori's manager, I could find out what happens in the next episode right away! The agony of waiting for the next episode...how heart wrenching!

Hm? Some of these boxes are pretty light while some of them are kind of heavy. I'll use the heavy ones to make a table while the light ones could be side tables; the ones that are practically empty will just be put at the side of the room. It's a good thing I brought my own futon since Nakahara doesn't even own one of her own. I kind of feel bad to have my own room whereas she sleeps in the living room but then again I really do need my own room since some of the work I do is classified. Well, I could offer to share this room with her; I think we could both fit if I just put the boxes together at one side and fix my things over here. If she doesn't want to share the room, she could at least spend the nights here if she wants to.

Without many problems, I finish setting up my room. I decide to head towards the living room to see if Nakahara has finished cooking.

"Nakahara?"

I find her sitting on the floor with the cat in her arms. On the kotatsu on front of her were two plates with curry on them. Just beside the table lay a bowl filled with cat food.

"You kinda took a while fixin' your things. I had to reheat the curry."

"You waited for me? You could have eaten ahead of me."

"Yeah, I could have but of course I had to wait for you. It's rude to eat ahead of the guest, right? I even had to hold Nao here all this time so that he wouldn't eat ahead."

"So the cat eats its meals together with you?"

"Yup. We always eat together except for the times when I have gigs. Isn't that right, Nao?"

*meow meow meowwww meow* The cat flails its arms and legs around; it's probably hungry; it's tail is swinging everywhere too.

"The food will get cold again if we don't eat now." Nakahara says.

"You're right. Let's eat. I hope you didn't put any poison in my curry." I say as I sit down on the floor to join her.

"Hehe...I was thinking about that but don't worry, my guardian angel prevailed and convinced me to spare you while I was cooking." She lets go of the cat who then goes over to its food right away.

"Itadakimasu."

"Itadakimasu." I take a spoonful of the curry she made and to my surprise it tastes very good.

"So how is it?"

"You can really cook. I'm honestly surprised."

"I told ya!" she smiles a little in satisfaction.

I continue to eat the curry she made without complains.

"Madoka, since you'll be living here in my place from now on, I've got some rules for you to follow."

"Rules? What kind of stupid rules do I have to follow here?"

"They're not stupid rules! They're important!"

*meow*

"First rule, be good to Nao and treat him well. If I have some gigs or jobs that take too long, you'll have to take my place and care for Nao while I'm gone."

"Urgh...I have to care for that thing?!"

"He's not a thing. He's a cat. Yup! You have to care for him from time to time."

"You really love your cat, don't you?"

"If you hurt him or forget to feed and play with him, I'll get mad and I'm telling ya that the mad me isn't worth meeting."

*meow*

"I'm quite infamous on the street back then, ya know! Well, I guess even now I'm still kind of—"

*meow meow*

"Excuse me? I didn't quite hear what you said just now; you were talking too softly and you were kind of eating your words."

"Oh! I-It's nothing! Anyway! Second rule, you are not allowed to go into the living after the lights are out. I'll be sleeping here so I don't want to be disturbed. You can take one of the water pitchers and glass with you so that you won't have to go here to get water in the middle of the night. If you need to go to the toilet...I guess you can pass since the bathroom is just beside your room."

"What kind of rule is that?"

"Just follow that rule, okay?!"

"You are really an odd and complicated being."

"Uh, what else? Hmm...Third rule, don't disturb me when I take a bath. One of the few times that I can relax is when I'm in the bath so I'd usually take a while like I'd stay in the bath for one to two hours. I suggest that you take a bath first before me."

"Okay. You stay in the tub for that long? Don't you overheat from the hot water or something?"

"Nah, I like and can endure hot water. I totally suck at staying in cold water. I'd turn into an ice sculpture if I were to stay in cold water for too long!"

*meow*

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention this! This one isn't a rule; more like a note to remember. I don't have a telephone, in case you haven't noticed. So we can only be reached thru mobile phone. Also, I've only got one TV which is over there." I point at the television set found at the corner of the living room; it faces the kotatsu. "I don't really watch television much so I'd think you'd be the one using it most of the time. Though it's still months before, if you're staying here during winter season, this apartment can get kind of cold so you can only survive if you stay here in the living room and use the kotatsu or if you buy a heater for your room. You can also survive if you keep Nao around you haha."

"You don't have a room heater of your own?"

"I had one. It broke last year. I'm usually just fine with using the kotatsu though."

"Can I use the kitchen?"

"Of course you can. Just make sure you clean up afterwards and put things back where they belong."

"Am I allowed to enter your work room?"

"Hmm. You can as long as it's important and if you're not going to disturb or distract me but I guess there will be times when I'll tell ya not to go in."

"Noted. Should we establish a curfew?"

"What for?"

"Well, aside from safety, it's also about opening the door; there's only one key to the apartment and you have it."

"Oh, no need for curfews. I'll have a duplicate key made for you so that we can both come and go whenever we want to."

"That's good. I'd probably be back late at times especially if I have to go submit papers and attend meetings at the agency."

"Let's see, what else is there to take note of? Do I have any more rules left to give?"

*meowww*

"Ah! Last rule, don't contact me or look for me during Fridays. Following me is also a big no."

"Hm, is that regarding the 'no work on Fridays' condition that you bargained with the president?"

"Yeah and well, just don't go lookin' for me or go with me on Fridays. If I have work on a Friday you have to tell me ASAP and then remind me two days before so that I can prepare and rearrange everything."

"What exactly do you do on Fridays, Nakahara?"

"Uhm, well, uh, it's none of your business; it's personal stuff."

"You're not seeing anyone, are you?"

"It's not like that at all; I'm single. I don't mingle nor do I plan to any time soon. I have more important things to do."

"Okay but your Friday activities, no, all of your activities better not bring any trouble. You hear me? Creating an image, protecting an image, and having a good reputation aren't easy to maintain; they can be destroyed in one shot."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course I know that."

* * *

"Nakahara."

"Yeah?"

"I just noticed it now. Where and when did you get that bruise on your lower right cheek?" Madoka asks angrily.

I reflexively touch the spot and feel a subtle pain. "Hmm...Maybe I hit my cheek somewhere by accident."

"Such an obvious lie. Now tell me the truth! Did someone hit you?!"

"No! Really! I think I hit my cheek last night when I went to get a glass of water in the middle of the night! Calm down, yo!" I think it's better to lie for now than to tell her that I was actually in a fight last night? I better make sure that the other bruises are hidden from her or else I'll run out of white lies for sure!

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot."

"Eh? What are you going on about, Madoka? Forgot what? If you forgot to bring a toothbrush, I got no spare and I ain't buying one for you."

"It's not that; of course I brought my toothbrush. What I was talking going to talk about were these."

*THUMP*

"WHOA! What on earth are those?! Please don't tell me that's homework or something..."

The stack of papers that I placed on the table surprised Nakahara. I'd figure she would be.

"These, my dear, are what you call as job offers."

"Wait! These are job offers for me?!"

I nod.

"All these?!"

I nod once again.

"I just signed for Shining agency two days ago and then I suddenly get these offers?! Is this normal?!"

"Pretty much. Most producers and other agencies from the entertainment industry usually keep an eye on the people that Shining takes interest in. After all, we don't really just take anyone in and our people turn out to be great and successful so they like working with us."

"But I've practically only been shown once in public during the music festival. How would they know about me?"

"Well, there are three possible answers to your question."

*meow*

"It could be that there were observers during the music festival and saw your performance. After learning that Saotome personally invited you to join the agency, they probably thought you might have potential and so they're starting to check you out and see if you'll be a rising star. The other reason is that it could be because the agency promoted you to them; it's like they introduce you to them via profile. We sometimes do that for the newcomers to help them start out."

"What's the last possibility?"

I sip my coffee. "You could just be lucky."

*meeeeoooow*

"So what do I do with these papers?"

"You have to carefully read them and decide which ones to sign. You'll start working on each project depending on what's written on those contracts."

Nakahara briefly reads the contracts one by one and then suddenly, "Madoka, pen."

I take my pen from my pants' pocket and she swiftly takes it from my hand as soon as I offered it; she starts signing the papers.

"Let's see...here and here..."

"I-Idiot! What are you doing?!"

"Signing the papers. Duh."

"You're signing all of them?!"

"Uh, yeah. What's wrong with signing them all?" She puts the pen down and gives them to me. "I can't wait to work!"

In an instant, I swipe the papers. "YOU IDIOT!"

"Eh?"

*meow*

I take my phone out and frantically call the number on the first contract. "Good morning. This is Rukawa Madoka of Shining Agency. Yes, this is regarding the offer for Nakahara 'Eika' Koemi to perform for..."

I frantically called each and every contact number in the contracts. I had to contact the organizers and agencies so that I could set up the meetings for the arrangement of the jobs. Did Nakahara really have to take all of these?! She should have thought about it more carefully! Does she realize that her schedule would be extremely packed if she accepts this amount of jobs all of a time?! I hope that this won't become a habit! I'll be damned if I have to contact so many people like this and arrange so many meetings as well! I'm also supposed to take her by car! Driving to so many places in a tight schedule, isn't easy! Why on earth did I become a manager again?!

"Looks like she'll be really busy from now on, Nao."

*meow*

"Haha. Let's do our best so that we can pay our bills and go to some fun places!"

*meow*

"Yeah, yeah, I'll also work hard to buy your food. Hehe. Don't worry, I'm not going to forget about you. Why would I?"

More than an hour passes and Madoka is still stuck on the phone. I don't mind since she's not nagging me here and there. Might as well enjoy the temporary comfort; she'll probably complain to me about signing on all those job offers. Hey, more work is more money and fun right?

As she speaks on the phone, she writes down all the details and schedules on her planner. She suddenly goes towards her room and a few minutes after, she comes out in corporate attire. That was fast!

"Alright, we'll see you this weekend. Thank you for your time." She ends the call and then turns to me. "Go and get ready to go out in ten minutes. Now."

"Eh?"

"We'll be headed to Tousaki Studios."

"What for?"

"Urgh...FOR YOUR FIRST JOB, IDIOT! Didn't you read any of the papers at all?!"

"Oh wait, is that the one that said they wanted to have me perform as a guest for someone's mini concert?"

"Yes, the meeting is in an hour so get ready already! I still have to drive to the studio!"

"Oh, okay."

I slowly get up and make my way towards my room to change. Slowly.

I can hear Madoka tapping her fingers.

"NAKAHARA, HURRY UP!"

"What are you getting so mad about?! It's still early!"

"EARLY?!"

Madoka takes the papers for the job we're talking about and shoves it to my face.

"THIS JOB AT TOUSAKI STUDIOS IS ABOUT 45 MINUTES FROM HERE."

She then takes the other papers for the next job. "THEN, THE NEXT MEETING WHICH IS FOR THIS JOB IS AT THE OTHER END OF TOWN! THEN THE NEXT IS ONE IS 30 MINUTES AWAY FROM THAT PLACE!"

"Oh wow, I didn't notice that on the papers. The meeting places for each of them are pretty far from each other."

"You think?! I told you to read them properly!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll remember that next time."

"Liar!"

*meow*

"What the hell?! DO YOU ALWAYS DRIVE LIKE THIS?!" I tighten my grip on the sports car's passenger handle. I feel like I'm going to shoot out of this car even with my seatbelt on!

"Not really; usually when it is only needed such as catching up on tight schedules."

I am definitely going to read the papers for future works next time! I'm not gonna live long if I'll have to deal with this kind of driving often!

"SLOW DOWN DAMN IT!"

"Oh be quiet why won't you? Just sit there and enjoy the ride."

"ENJOY THE RIDE?! YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!"

*meow*

"More importantly...WHY ON EARTH DID YOU BRING THAT THING WITH YOU?!"

"NAO IS NOT A THING! HE'S A CAT! HE'S MY PRECIOUS BABY! HE'S FAMILY!"

"FAMILY MY BUTT! HE BETTER NOT RUIN THE CAR SEATS OR ELSE I'M TURNING HIM INTO A CARPET!"

"HOW DARE YOU! YOU MUST BE ONE SPECIAL KIND OF EVIL, MADOKA! WHAT HAS NAO EVER DONE TO YOU?!"

*meow*

"MY CAR IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT CREATURE OF HELL!"

"CAT'S AREN'T CREATURES OF HELL!"

"YES THEY ARE!"

Madoka speeds up as the cars on the highway lessen.

"Why do you drive like this?! Were you a race car driver or something in your previous life?!"

"Nah. I might just have been influenced by my old friend who drives faster than me."

"A friend of yours?!"

"Yes, we were classmates in high school. He's the one who brought me into Shining Agency."

"So he's a manager too?!"

Madoka nods. "He's the guy who drove Saotome's limo."

"The guy you called 'Kumagai'?! He drives faster than this and faster than that time?!"

Madoka nods again and sharply turns at the next corner.

Man, I feel bad for the idol that's under that Kumagai guy; he must be one hell of a driver! I'm sure glad that I have life insurance! Maybe I should get Nao some insurance too? At least I have little to nothing to worry about in case something happens but I hope that nothing really will happen to me for as long as I have to ride in this car with Madoka!

After a while of holding on for my life on the highway, the studio finally can be seen and the car gets sent straight into the parking lot with no problems.

"LAND! I HAVE NEVER BEEN THIS GRATEFUL FOR LAND!" I say gratefully with my hands and knees on the ground.

*meeeeooow*

Nao gets out of the car and starts rubbing himself on me. I guess he's trying to cheer me up.

"Quit your drama and get on your feet! The meeting is on the 6th floor! Hurry up!"

"Y-Yes, 'mam!" I pick up Nao and hurriedly follow Madoka.

"Are you seriously bringing that thing with you?!"

"HE'S NOT A THING!"

"Urgh. Whatever, you're lucky that pets aren't prohibited here."

*meow meow meow*

"Shut up, brat!"

"Hey! Don't shout at Nao! And he's not a brat!"

"Whatever! Come on, walk faster or else we'll be late!"


	3. Chapter 3: Guitar Strings

**CHAPTER 3: Guitar Strings**

"You still alive back there?" Madoka asks as she looks thru the rear view mirror.

"I think so." I reply groggily. "Is this thing at Shuuei Tower Studios our last job for today? I really wanna go home and just lie down on the floor until sunrise…"

"It's the last one."

She steps on the breaks as the traffic light at the intersection changed from a bright green color to a bright red.

"If you remember the file for this job, they requested to have the song you sang in the music festival to be recorded and be included in their special coverage album of the music festival itself. Today, you'll be rehearsing in their studio together with the people who played the instruments for you back then. The actual recording will be on the weekend so practice as much as you can so that you won't sound terrible in the recording."

"I won't sound terrible!" I shout crudely. "At least I actually get to do something now. I was so bored to death by the meetings since this morning. I finally get to sing!"

"In the future, there will be more instances of long and short meetings like those we had today; you have to get used to them. The number of meetings you'll go to might increase if you ever get more exposure and fame. These negotiations and discussions are important so make sure you pay attention to the demands and conditions given to you so that you won't get tricked or be taken advantage of."

"I'll be able to do more than singing in the future, right?"

"Yes. You could be requested to be a guest at a talk show or a variety show, you could be asked to endorse products and events, and you could even be asked to try acting in television series."

"Acting?! I'll let you know this now! I can't act for my life, you hear me?! That's my worst skill for sure!"

"Well, if the offer comes, you'll have no choice but to try it out and work on that skill. Idols don't just sing and dance, they can do many other things as well."

"Urgh…I'd love to be a guest for a tourism show! I'd get to travel and eat food as work! So ideal!"

*meow*

"Shut up, you stupid cat."

"Madoka, watch your mouth!"

"You really are too attached to that thing, aren't you?!"

"For the thousandth time, he's not a thing!"

"Whatever!"

The traffic light returns to green and Madoka swiftly moves on. The scenery quickly turns into a familiar busy venue—Shibuya.

This place hasn't changed much over the past few years; it's still the same city that I used to wander around with my old guitar and my old dear friend. During the times we couldn't get bars to have us perform in their joint, we'd look for a spot on the street and set up spontaneously. Heck, how could I forget those times when we would perform with all our might but the city's noise would just block us off as if it's silencing us on purpose and those times when we had to suddenly pick up our equipment and run from the policemen who'd chase us off the streets.

Shuuei Tower Studios, Shuu Tower for short, a tall vibrant orange building best known as a music shop and a record company that spews out really good music.

Man, this company is definitely a big one; I can't believe I used to pass by the building telling myself that one day I'll have a recording with them together with Yasuko and here I am! …Too bad Yasuko ain't here though; it was our dream to at least release one song with them. She'd totally freak when she finds out that I'm going to be working with Shuu Tower now from time to time.

Madoka drives into the parking building and parks near the elevator.

"The rehearsal room we'll be using is on the sixth floor; the rehearsal room number is 614. The room is reserved under our names until the evening so make sure you practice seriously and diligently."

"Yes, madam. I hear ya."

"Don't forget to—"

"To sign papers and refer to myself using my stage name, Eika, at all times."

"And—"

"Keep the cat from causing any trouble."

"Good. You're learning."

Whatever, even a five year old kid can remember your lines word per word if you keep sayin' them all day long.

Upon entering the elevator, Madoka immediately presses the button for the sixth floor.

*ping*

The elevator door opens after a short while.

"The room is this way, down the hall." Madoka says as she takes the lead.

She opens the door and to our surprise, we see some people inside the rehearsal room.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Madoka says loudly in a serious tone. "Kurosaki, what are you doing here?! This room is reserved for Eika's—"

"Pipe down a little, Rukawa. What are you talkin' about?! This room is reserved to me for the rest of the day. Even these guys are with me."

"What?! That can't be right! I'm definitely sure that this room and those band mates are supposed to be working with Eika today! You've got to be wrong!"

"Like I said, I'm sure that I ain't wrong." Kurosaki says annoyed as hell.

One of the band mates approaches the two arguing adults; I think he's the bassist. "Rukawa-san, for what I know, we were supposed to work with Eika today just like you said but when we came here and checked the registry of reservations, Kurosaki-san's name was on it instead of Eika's."

"So what's the real deal?" The drummer asks in confusion.

"Maybe the person in charge at the desk made a mistake?" the lead guitarist asks.

"That is the worst possible thing that could have happened—Eika! Stop playing with your damned cat and do something productive instead!" Madoka shouts.

I continue to rub Nao's belly as he moves around my lap. He's such an adorable creature.

"Eika!"

Nao stands on my lap and I grab his two front legs that he's waving in the air. Aww…he looks like he's dancing!

"Eika, are you listening to me?!"

"Pfftt—" Kurosaki tries to hold in his sudden short laughter.

"Hey! Don't you laugh at me, punk! Do you want me to hit you where it hurts?!"

"For a tough manager, you can't get your own underling to follow ya."

"Urgh! Never mind that! Look, we need this room and the band to rehearse!"

"Wait, she's gonna need the guys? What, is she going to play rock too?"

"Yeah, that's correct."

Kurosaki smirks a little. "No way."

"You don't remember her? She performed at musical festival too; she was the last performer."

"This kid is a rocker, you say? Heh. The kid probably has no idea what real rock really is."

I suddenly stop playing with Nao and find myself up on my feet.

"You sayin' my music's fake?!" I say in an annoyed tone.

He doesn't say anything at first and just looks at me from head to toe.

He crosses his arms and turns his back to me. "You don't sound right and you don't even got the look of the rock spirit there. You sure you're the real deal?"

I lose my self control and just totally snap on the spot. I head towards the guitarist and snatch the electric guitar off of his hands faster than he could blink and immediately shove it right into Kurosaki's hands.

A small smirk forms on my face. "I guess you ain't gonna believe me 'til you see and hear it yourself, pal."

He takes the guitar and puts the sling over him.

"You gonna take me on, kid?" He smiles a little.

I return his smile as I snatch an electric guitar from the standees. "I'll show you who's a kid."

We excitedly check and tune the guitars.

"You two should stop this at once."

I strum the guitar in my hands once right after tuning it.

"Stay out of this, Madoka."

She heads over to me and whispers in my ear, "What are you doing?!"

I laugh menacingly and reply to her softly, "This guy just called me a fake, didn't he? I ain't taking that cow crap from him or anyone. No one dares to call me a fake and putting down all the effort I've been putting in my life! I'm going to burn it into his mind just how much of a rocker I am!"

Kurosaki starts off by playing some difficult chords and different melodies. I cut him off all of a sudden with even more difficult set of chords and melodies. Just like what I did, he would cut me off too from time to time. The intensity of the music we were both playing just grew and grew more intense than ever. We continued to play for hours until evening came. We played nonstop at full power!

"Argh!" I grunt quietly to myself as I get a cut from strumming the guitar strings. I ignore the injury and continue to play without lessening my performance quality. It hurt at first but as I continued to play, my finger started feeling numb and I could no longer feel the pain; I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I didn't have time to stop and check my fingers as the melody in my mind rushes out to be played. Besides, I can't take my eyes off of my prey! I'm not going to turn away from Kurosaki even for a second.

The two of us continued on until suddenly, his serious and determined expression changes and he stops playing the guitar.

"Hold up a sec."

He suddenly takes away from my hands the guitar I'm using.

"Hey! What's your problem?!"

"Kid, I get it that you're serious but," He holds up the guitar I was using "you gotta stop right now."

I look at the guitar and notice that there's blood on the strings and even on the side of the guitar. I immediately look at my hands and see my finger tips covered in blood. Man, it's kinda like a scene straight out of a thriller movie.

"Eika!"

Madoka notices the blood too and uses her handkerchief to wipe off some of the blood on my fingers and to apply pressure.

"Looks like you played so hard that your fingers gave up on you." Kurosaki says. "What a waste of a perfectly good guitar. It ain't easy to get one of these; you better clean this one up real good before you leave, idiot."

What a sharp tongue. It makes me want to pull it out.

He puts away the guitars and opens the first aid cabinet beside the door.

"Come here, kid. We gotta have those treated."

*meow*

Nao rubs himself on Kurosaki's leg as he starts putting medicine and bandages on my cuts. Yes, cuts. Many cuts. Not one but many. How even. I dunno. Don't me. What did you do to me, me? Bad me. Me was too hard on me. Sigh. What the hell am I thinking to myself?

"You really are a beginner; you don't know your own limits or how to take care of yourself. A challenge is good but if ya continue on in bad shape, then you'll just be digging your own grave."

Annoyed by his sermon, I pull away my hands from him. "Sigh. Just let me put on the medicine and bandage myself. I don't need a preacher to tend to my cuts."

"Heh. Suit yourself, idiot."

"What did you—OW!"

He took a cotton ball and soaked it with medicine and suddenly shoved it to one of my big cuts. What a demon!

"WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!"

"Nothin'. I was just giving you the cotton since you wanted to treat them yourself."

"You jerk! You got nerves—"

He catches me off guard and shoves the cotton again to my cuts.

"OUCH!"

He smirked as he pressed the cotton ball hard on one of my cuts.

"Yeah, whatever you say kid. You'd just end up putting blood all over the floor before you know it."

"OW! OW! OW! STOP DOING THAT! DO IT GENTLER IF YOU'RE GONNA TREAT THEM!"

He continues to treat my wounds roughly until the torture finished with the bandages nicely wrapped around my hands.

Jesus, my hands feel so numb because of the pain I went thru. This guy has no mercy. He's the devil I tell you. The devil incarnate!

"What, you're going to cry over those?"

"I'm not going to cry! This is nothing to what I've been thru before!" Hell seriously this is nothing compared to my usual…uhm…fights.

"But I gotta hand it to ya. You're not that bad after all, kid."

A smile of victory forms on my face.

"I told you s—" I suddenly stopped my words and looked around the room frantically.

Damn! He's not here!

I look at Madoka hastily. "Madoka! Nao isn't here! He's not here in the room!"

"What?!" Madoka looks around the room. "The door! It's open! Someone left it open!"

"I'll go take a look at the hallways and rooms that have open doors! I'm pretty sure he's still on this floor since he never really strays away from me. I'll be right back!" I rush out the of the rehearsal room.

Kurosaki hurries over to the door and shouts out, "Hey kid, come back here! Don't be an idiot and get yourself back in here!"

Though his voice was loud, Koemi didn't pay attention to him.

Madoka follows right before him and shouts at Koemi. "Eika!"

She was about to run after Koemi but Kurosaki grabs hold of her arm.

"Don't follow her, Rukawa."

"I have to! She definitely won't go home without that cat of hers! I have to help her find it or else she'll end up going around everywhere just to look for that thing! She probably won't work!"

"You don't have to worry so much like that. The two of ya are definitely going home. Call her cell or something and tell her to get back in here."

Kurosaki takes his bag that was beside the other instruments in the room.

"The little guy snuck into my bag all this time. I saw his tail for a moment when the kid ran out of the room."

A familiar cat slowly peeks outside the bag.

*meow*

"Don't you meow happily like that to me; you caused some trouble for your owner and I!"

Madoka takes Nao out of the bag. Nao smiles right back at her with his tail swinging happily from side to side.

"You and Eika are both troublesome, you know that?! I'm going to age faster because of you two!"

*meooow*

* * *

In the end, I didn't get to practice at all because my finger tips would hurt every time they felt the vibration from the strings and I couldn't press harder on the chords for a clearer sound because of the pain. Kurosaki didn't get to practice much because of Madoka who couldn't let go of the mix up with the reservation. She dragged Kurosaki with her to the admin and demanded an explanation about the mix up. Man, Madoka was fierce! She had pretty good arguments and complaints against the admin; Kurosaki couldn't even get an opening or a chance to say anything because Madoka was speaking nonstop and in such a scary tone. I guess I should tone down my teasing on her; I wouldn't wanna land on the same position as the admin; gotta keep myself on the safe side. Because of the arguing, the complaining, and rescheduling, we ended up finishing just in time for evening to arrive. I can't believe we took that long.

"The schedule for next week better be followed and correct or so help me, I'm going to have you fired!" Madoka says angrily to the admin.

"Y-Yes, ma'am! I'm very sorry for my incompetence! It will never happen again!"

"It would be in your best interest to make sure it does never happen again!"

"Yes!"

"Eika!" She says angrily.

"Y-Yeah?!"

"Let's go. We'll be heading home now."

"Sure! O-Okay." Scary manager.

"Kurosaki, do you need a ride back?"

"Nah, no need for that Rukawa. I got my bike with me today."

"Okay. Take care then."

The light coming from the street lights pass by the window of Madoka's car one after the other. I lean on the window and silently watch the scenery of the city outside as Nao sleeps soundly on my lap. Madoka doesn't listen to the radio in the car when it's evening so it's pretty quiet; it's so quiet that I can hear Nao's purrs as he sleeps.

"Nakahara, tomorrow there will be—"

I wave my index finger from side to side at Madoka.

"No. No. No. No. No. There won't be anything lined up for me for tomorrow; it's a Friday."

"Oh yes, I forgot that tomorrow will be a Friday. What will you be doing?"

"I'll be out the whole day. I'll be returning late in the evening so go ahead and have dinner and sleep if I ain't home yet."

"Sparing the details of your off day?"

"Kind of hehe. My free day isn't your or the agency's business according to my contract."

"True. It's quite impressive that you were able to change the condition from second and third Fridays of a month to every Friday of a month. Why did you change that condition all of a sudden with the president?"

"No particular reason. I guess I did it on a whim."

"Sigh. Just don't do anything that could tarnish your reputation."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. That reminds me, take care of Nao; I leave him to you."

"You're not taking the cat with you?!"

"Pet's aren't allowed where I'll be hangin' so he'll have to stay at home."

"Urgh. Here I thought I could enjoy some peace and solitude back at the apartment."

"Haha. Don't worry, he ain't a handful. You just have to feed him on time and play only when he asks you to play with him."

"Noted." Madoka says sarcastically. "If ever you need me tomorrow for whatever reason, I'm going to be in the apartment all day."

"You're not gonna go out?"

"I prefer to stay indoors when tired and enjoy the afternoon and evening dramas on television."

"Wait, you're into drama series?!"

"And what exactly is surprising about that?"

"You don't look like it."

"Appearances can be deceiving, Koemi. Pretty deceiving."

"True that."

We arrive at the apartment and the first thing that Madoka does is make coffee.

"Hey Madoka, that's like your sixth cup of coffee for the day. You a coffee addict?"

"Kind of."

"Ah, I see. I'm gonna pack a few things; don't disturb me."

"Sure." She says as she sits down at the kotatsu and turns on the television.

"Alright, I gotta get the usual stuff ready for tomorrow."

I enter my work room and place a dark blue and purple gym bag on the floor. I put some extra clothes and underwear inside followed by some face towels.

"I got my perfume, hand sanitizer, extra socks. Hmm…Ah! I'm missing one of the most important things to bring!"

I open a drawer and dig thru to the bottom.

"Here it is. Good thing I didn't forget."

I put a wig cap and a black wig into the bag.

"That's everything I need. I hope I didn't forget anything or else I'll have to come back and forth; that's going to be nearly impossible."

"So what's all that stuff for?"

"WHA!" I jump in surprise. "Madoka, you scared the shizz out of me."

"I did? Sorry then. So what's the big bag for?"

"Just the things I need for my day off tomorrow."

"You look like you're going to run away. You aren't planning to do that, are you?"

"Why would I run away now that I've got a good paying job?! I'm not running away; don't worry so much. Besides, I wouldn't give up this apartment or Nao over there. I won't be going anywhere."

"I guess you're right; you wouldn't give up your assets just like that all of a sudden. So what did you pack in the bag?"

"Just essentials."

She looks at me for a few seconds then shrugs her shoulders before going back to the living room.

I lie down on the floor and look up at my ceiling. "I'll have to get on the six o'clock train to make it to the hospital by eight o'clock." I turn to my side. "I hope there won't be any problems with the train this time; it got delayed last time so I got a good scolding from the head nurse."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Long time no see! My vacation just started ^^; Exams were okay and some of them were surprisingly easy!~**

 **Anyway, I wanted to point out that the song found in the first chapter called "Daylight Breakout"** **takes its melody after "Fight Like Dancing" from Kenka Bancho Otome sung by Aoi Shouta. But the verse**

 **"BREAKOUT! (BREAKOUT!)  
** **C'mon breakout!  
** **BREAKOUT! (BREAKOUT!)  
** **C'mon breakout!  
** **YEAH!"**

 **Doesn't or isn't going to fit in the melody of Fight Like Dancing because it was something extra I just decided to put on haha.**


	4. Chapter 4: Friday's Refuge

**CHAPTER 4: Friday's Refuge**

"Urgh…I fell asleep….what time is it—"

I shoot straight up and in less than a minute, I got dressed.

"Crap! It's almost six o'clock! I overslept!"

Alright, am I good to go?

I look at myself on front of the mirror.

"The wig!"

I tie my hair up and put on a wig cap. I then put on the black wig and fix it in place.

"Perfect! Black wig, regular clothes, gloves, rubber shoes, cap, time to go!"

I scoop up my bag from the floor. I quietly left my work room and see that Nao is asleep on the kotatsu. There's no sign of Madoka so she's probably in her room asleep. She's usually up and about by five o'clock but since there's no work today, she's probably going to sleep a while longer.

As quietly as I can, I unlock the door and leave the apartment.

I press the elevator button of the apartment but it's still coming from the top floor of the building. Impatient, I head straight for the staircase and run down the stairs. Eight floors are nothing!

"Oh Buddha…Oh Jesus…Let me make it to the train!"

Those words repeated over and over again in my head like a mantra as the sight of the train station came into view. I then realized, why didn't I catch a cab or a bus to get here instead of running all the way? I'm an idiot.

I rush down the escalator.

" _The train is about to depart. Please step away from the doors and please do not chase after the door._ "

Damn! It's the announcement!

I rush past the ticket gate with my card pass.

"Crap!"

The doors start to close as I run towards them. I close my eyes and just hope that I'd get in!

" _The next station is…_ "

I hesitantly open my eyes and a big smile forms on my face as I see the interior of the train.

"Yes! I made it!" I freakin' made it!

I can hear my heart beating so loudly. The adrenaline was high.

"Could ya get off of me?!" an angry voice says.

I look beside me and see Kurosaki. Seeing him made my heart beat out of my chest and my face probably turned pale. I immediately step away from him.

What is he doing here?! "S-Sorry about that!"

He looks at me with an angry expression and then looks away. What's his problem? I said I was sorry and I was in a hurry! Urgh. He's lucky that I'm not entirely myself today. What an irritable jerk, this guy.

I go over to one end of the train car and sit down. There aren't a lot of people in the train yet; I guess most of them overslept like I did? Haha. It would probably be more crowded later on when it passes thru the other stations.

Lucky me, I still have time to take a nap; the sixth stop is still an hour away. I'll be needing lots of energy so I gotta stock up some! I can't wait to see everyone hehe. I wonder how Akane-chan is doing. She better be healthy enough to play this time and to sing along with everyone.

I hug my gym bag and close my eyes. These days have been warm; the gloves don't help with the temperature but I can't have the children see my cuts and some blood 'cause I'm pretty sure they'd freak out.

* * *

" _Hey…Emi-chan._ "

"Yeah? What is is Yasuko?"

" _I made another song last night! Do you want to listen to it?_ "

"Awesome! Let me hear it!"

" _What do you think, Emi-chan?_ "

"Man, you've got good taste. How do you come up with songs like this?! I swear if ever you get your own songs on a CD, I'm buyin' them, Yasuko!"

" _Haha. I'll be really happy if ever that happens! It would be great if I could write songs and then you sing them, Emi-chan. We make a great pair! Remember during the school festival last year, we entered the band contest as a duo; you were the vocals and guitar while I was on the keyboard. We won first place and now everyone is expecting us to play again this year._ "

"We'll definitely win first place again!"

" _I'll make a great song! I won't stop writing even when I'm in the hospital for therapy again._ "

"Hey! That ain't good! You gotta rest when you have your therapy! No sleeping late and skipping meals, Yasuko!"

" _Hehe. Don't worry, I've been feeling better so don't sweat!_ "

"Take care of yourself, idiot! You better get better so that we can work on our debut!"

" _That's right! We'll work hard and after graduating high school, we'll try getting our debut!_ "

"You aim for Shuuei Tower Studios, right?"

" _That's right! I've loved that company since forever! It's a dream to make a song for them._ "

"Alright! We'll make that dream of yours come true after graduation! I'll help you all the way!"

" _Thanks a lot, Emi-chan! I look forward to it!_ "

* * *

"Hnn…?"

I open my eyes and see that the train is filled with more people.

I had a dream, didn't I? It was Yasuko and I during high school; we were both having lunch by the big old tree. That was two months before…

My thoughts are cut off by the train's announcement. " _The next station is…_ "

Looks like it's time to get off the train.

As I left the station, I'm greeted by a clear blue sky; the weather sure is nice.

"It's good to be early! I don't have to rush at all. Now I gotta catch a cab."

Oh! There's once coming this way! Lucky me!

I raise my hand to signal the taxi and it parks right on front of me. I reach for the door handle—

"What the?!"

Someone reaches for the taxi door too and as our hands bump each other, we both pull away. I turn to the person in annoyance.

"Hey, I called this cab first! You can't—"

I'm in utter shock…WHAT THE HELL IS KUROSAKI DOING HERE TOO?!

"What are you talkin' about? I called the cab first before you did! I was standing by this sidewalk earlier than you did!"

The taxi driver puts down his window. "Now, now, no need to argue so early in the morning! Let's settle this peacefully, youngsters! You both called me at the same time, just for the record."

"Oh great, so how are we going to settle this?" I ask.

"Well, where you two headed? If both of your destinations are just on the way then both of you can just ride together." The taxi driver says.

"Kurushima Hospital." Kurosaki and I say.

We look at each other in surprise. He's headed there too?! What rotten luck…

"Oh! You two are headed towards the same place! Then that means there's no problem at all. Get in, you two."

There doesn't seem to be another cab that's going to pass by here soon. I better just suck it up and take this trip…sigh.

I immediately take the front seat. Kurosaki looks at me with an annoyed face from the window before he sits at the back. Take that, you jerk.

"Come on you two, don't look so glum! Isn't this lucky? The two of you get to share the taxi fare."

There is nothing lucky about this. Not only am I with a person I don't like, my cover could get blown if he recognizes me then that'll lead to some trouble for sure.

The whole ride going to the hospital was completely silent and the atmosphere was filled with tension. It was kind of creepy how the taxi driver was smiling the whole time; it was like he was an exclusive zone in the cab where happiness was not allowed to disappear or something.

"Okay kids, we've arrived at Kurushima Hospital."

"Here's my share of the fare." I say as I hand over some money.

I left right after the taxi driver took the money. I didn't want to waste time or to even look at Kurosaki.

I head straight to the reception desk of the hospital. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Nakahara-san. You're on time today!"

"Hehe. I have to admit I was almost late for the train."

"Is that so? It's fortunate that you made it then. Here's your ID pass and the key to your usual locker in the nurse's station room at the fourth floor."

"Are the children in good health today?"

"They're in good condition; all of them can play today."

"All of them? Even Akane-chan?"

The nurse nods.

"That's good news. Has anything happened to Akane-chan lately?"

"Thankfully, her condition has been stable these days."

I sigh in relief.

"Okay. I'll head over to the cancer ward now."

She nods. "Work hard today, Nakahara-san."

"As always!"

This hospital sure hasn't changed much over the years. Most of the nurses and doctors from back then are still here; even some of the janitors are still working here and looking healthy. I may be here every Friday but it always feels like I haven't been here for a long time…It also makes that day seem like it was just yesterday. Hmm…how many years has it been since that day? I'm turning twenty two years old this year and that day happened when I was in the twelfth grade so that means I was eighteen years old so that means this year is going to be the third year since that day. I should pay a visit to Yasuko's house for the anniversary.

*ping*

The elevator doors open and I make my way to the fourth floor's nurse station.

"Oh."

My feet stop as I pass by a room that I know all too well; a room that I've spent a lot of time in back in high school—Room 412. The name plate now says "Uwamoto Akane" but years ago, it was a different name; a name that stayed for a long time until one day, it was removed.

I stare at the door for a moment before I continue walking on.

"Nakahara-san! Good morning!" One of the nurses at the nurse station says.

"Good morning to everyone. How are the kids?"

"Hohoho! The kids are always the first thing you mention about. They're wide awake at the function hall, waiting for you." another nurse says.

"Then I have to get ready even faster! Those kids are always up too early when they know I'm coming."

"Hehe, you're definitely right about that." Another nurse says.

I get into the back room where the lockers are. I put my things inside and put on the apron they gave me and attach my name tag on the left side of my chest. I then put on my ID pass.

"Okay, do your best to keep up and to make them happy today as usual."

I take a deep breath before heading to the function hall where all the kids were waiting for me.

"Good morning!" I say out loud as I slide open the two doors of the function hall.

"Emi-neesan!" the children shout as they run towards me.

I squat down a little and open my arms for them. Four of them run into my arms and hug me. One of them climbs my back and hugs me from the neck. Then the other two hugs me from the side; I try my best to hug them all.

These children are all little angels in this world; they really are all nice, smart, and talented. I always wondered why people who are so kind or children who are so young and innocent like these are the ones who become victims to such a painful disease—cancer.

"So have you guys been good while I was gone?"

"Yes!"

"That's good to hear! Now since it's early in the morning and you're all growing children, we'll do some stretches first okay? It's going to help you grow tall and strong!"

The children and I gather in a circle and I start leading them in the stretching exercise. They all look jolly and healthy so I believe that they've been in good health then.

"So what did you do recently, Kaido-kun?"

"My tutor came everyday so that I wouldn't be left out in school when I return."

"Did you study hard?"

"I sure did! I'm pretty good in science!"

"Sounds good. What about you, Tsukiko-chan?"

"I was drawing pictures."

"Really? I want to see them later during lunch break. I'm sure they're awesome as usual!"

"Okay!"

"Ryo-kun? What have you been doing?"

"My big brother visits me and plays with me so I've been having a lot of fun!"

"Haha. Don't tire yourself out too much or else you'll be stuck in bed for some time again."

"Akane-chan?"

"I've been practicing my singing."

"Oh! Did you learn the songs I gave you last time?"

"Yup! The songs were really good!"

"Let's sing together later, okay?"

Akane-chan smiles.

"Ken-kun, how's your therapy going?"

"I'm doing well! The doctor was happy with my progress!"

"That's great!"

"Chiharu-chan, did you finish another book over the week?"

"I finished two books this time."

"Is that so? Why don't you tell me about the books later? I'd be happy to listen to you."

"The stories are really good this time. I think you'll like one of them a lot."

"Mia-cha, did your mom make you some cookies again?"

"She made a new recipe and it tastes really good! I kept some for you to try, Emi-neesan."

"Really?! Thanks a bunch! Your mom really bakes some delicious treats; no wonder your family's bakery has been doing so well."

We continue to stretch for five more minutes.

"So what do you guys want to do now?" I ask happily.

"Emi-neesan," Akane-chan goes over to me and starts pulling on my apron. "we want to have a song!"

"Eh? You guys want to go straight with the sing-a-long session?"

The children become livelier as they say yes.

"Haha. Okay guys, settle down and sit on the floor as usual. Let me just get the guitar from my locker. Behave and don't go anywhere, you guys got that?"

"Yes!"

I keep a guitar here in the hospital so that I wouldn't have to bring it with me every time I go here; it's always in my locker.

I return to the function hall with my guitar all tuned and ready to play.

"So, do you guys have any requests?" I strum the guitar once.

"Emi-neesan."

"What is it Kaido-kun?"

"I've only noticed now but why are you wearing gloves?"

"Hmm, no reason. I just thought it looks good. Fashion!"

The children laugh as I strike a silly pose highlighting my gloves.

"Do you have a new song for us?" Mia-chan asks.

"Well, I haven't made a new song yet but I still have another song by my dear friend."

"You mean Yasuko-neesan?" Akane-chan asks.

"Yup! You guys haven't met her and probably never will but I've noticed you like the songs she wrote. She really has tons of songs left hehe."

"Yasuko-neesan must have been a great person. Her songs are so good." Tsukiko-chan says.

"She really was awesome! I swear on it with my heart and soul. She really was the best." I strum the guitar once again.

"So what is this song called?" Ken-kun asks.

"That's the problem; the song doesn't have a name."

"Eh? How come?" Ryo-kun asks.

"Because it's an unfinished song. Yasuko didn't finish this song because she ran out of time."

"Ran out of time? What do you mean, Emi-neesan?" Chiharu-chan asks.

"Um…" How should I say it? I don't want to tell them that she died after a few days. "You see, she had to sleep for a long time so that she could recover. I did mention that she was in the same situation as you guys."

"Oh, so Yasuko-neesan had cancer too?"

I nodded.

"Where is she now?" Tsukiko-chan asks.

"I don't know, actually. One day, she just left without telling anybody where she went."

"Why did she do that?" Kaido-kun asks.

"Maybe she wanted a change of pace and get out of the hospital haha. Maybe she went somewhere to write more music that everyone could enjoy. Maybe she's still sleeping but somewhere else. I really don't know."

Akane-chan ponders a little. "I want to believe that Yasuko-neesan is writing music somewhere."

"Me too." Ryo-kun says. "I want to believe she's writing music for you again secretly hehe."

"Yeah! Then maybe one day she'll send it to you as a surprise!" Mia-chan says.

"Hehe you guys might be right. Maybe she did leave the hospital to make a really awesome song for me."

"Since Yasuko-neesan didn't give this song a name, why don't you name it for her?" Chiharu-chan says.

"Me? Name the song?"

I think for a moment. What would be a suitable title to Yasuko's song?

The children wait patiently with anticipation.

This song was the last song that Yasuko wrote before she died. Taking into account the lyrics she wrote along with the melody she was able to finish, it's actually quite a positive song.

"Ah! I got it!" That word was one of her favorite words and knowing the lyrics…

"So what did you think of, Emi-neesan?"

"Hope. I'll name the song 'Hope'." I fix my posture and hold the guitar in a more comfortable position.

"Why did you decide to call it 'Hope"?" Ken-kun asks.

"Listen to the lyrics carefully and think of Yasuko; you'll understand why."

The children stop talking and wait for me to start the song.

"The song isn't very long but I still think it's a nice song. I'll begin now."

 ** _Smile, nothing will come thru with scowling, whining, crying too_**

 ** _Breathe, jump up and run to me with open arms so proud_**

 ** _Oh, see your smile shine bright and laughter swarming all around you_**

 ** _Feel, your legs breaking free as you jump into the clouds_**

 ** _In a world that's full of troubles, don't be adding any more_**

 ** _Don't let hope die on you_**

 ** _You can still find some paradise hiding from your sight_**

Hope. She believed in hope so much. Her hope was different though because she didn't hope to be cured; she hoped to live past thru the deadline her doctors estimated. She knew, everyone knew, that she wouldn't be cured because her cancer was really bad. And yet…

 ** _Look at me and tell me everything will be alright_**

 ** _I'll say the same words to you with all my might_**

 ** _What you feel is what I feel too deep inside_**

 ** _Take my hand and stay by my side_**

I wonder if this is what Yasuko was feeling and thinking at that time. Every time she had to go to the hospital for her chemotherapy and for her check-ups, I always wondered what were the things going thru her mind. Though her cancer was progressing badly, she was always still so bright and cheerful no matter what. I couldn't tell if she was just putting up a front or if she was genuinely still happy and positive. She knew that she could die any time but it seemed like it didn't bother her or that she didn't even think about it. I never saw her cry from the day she found out she had cancer until the day she died.

 ** _Oh baby_**

 ** _I just wanna give you love_**

 ** _Love you all the time_**

 ** _I'm gonna keep you living on_**

 ** _For me and you_**

I was always doing my best to look strong and not to cry on front of her but now that I think about it, among everyone, she was the strongest. She never faltered even once; not even when she was experiencing pain. Just like I did, she did her best to be strong too. She tried her best to live longer not just for herself but for those she cared about.

 ** _Baby_**

 ** _I just wanna keep your smile_**

 ** _Shinning thru the night_**

 ** _I'm gonna keep being so strong_**

 ** _For you and for me_**

Keep my smile, huh? You're such an idiot, Yasuko. You think about others too much that it ends up hurting them too. If you wanted to cry, you should cry. If you were in pain, then say it's painful. I wanted to tell you those things back then but I didn't have the guts to. I really want to know what were you thinking and feeling back then. Knowing you, your songs never lie about what goes on in your head so were you really just happy to be with everyone until the very end? Were your feelings that simple? You really are a wonder, Yasuko; a wonder and a joyful idiot. Haha.

"The song is good." Ryo-kun says.

"The lyrics are so positive. Yasuko-neesan is such a strong person." Akane-chan says.

"She really really was. She's the strongest person I know."

"Emi-neesan, can you teach us the song?" Chiharu-chan asks.

"You guys want to learn this song?"

"Yes!"

"Okay, let's start with the first verse. Listen first then we'll sing it together after."

Guess what Yasuko? Your songs are well liked by these children. I've been teaching them your songs and they get a lot of motivation and joy from them. I kept your notebooks and papers that had your songs in them; I requested them from your parents after your cremation. I didn't want your songs to be forgotten or to be thrown away because for me, it was the same as forgetting you and I know that there's no way I could ever ever do that. I can't let your legacies or your gifts be forgotten or thrown away.

"Okay, now let's try singing it together! One…two…three…"

You know, I now have jobs both with Shining Agency and with Shuuei Tower Studios and I've decide on something. After getting on the good sides of the two and giving them some good works, I'm going to request to release one album—an album filled with your songs. The album will have your name and I'll pick out your best picture from your family albums and from our pictures together. Your name will be the highlight and all the credit will be given to you. I'll sing your songs for the album so that everyone will know the music you made. I will try my best…no. I will make it happen! Not now but surely in the near future. I promise you. You know how well I keep my promises, right?

"You guys did a good job but it still needs some polishing. Let's do the first verse one more time. Ready?"

Yasuko, wherever you are right now, I just want you to know that you were right. Music isn't just something you listen to and feel. It's something that saves people; it helps ease the pain of people's souls. I can see it clearly thru these children. Even though they're suffering from cancer like you did, they can still afford to smile genuinely and play around. The way they smile reminds me of how you would always smile.

I wish you were here with me now. I miss you very much, my dear friend. Keep watching over me from up there, okay?

* * *

The children got tired after our singing session that lasted for two hours; they sure got energy. Nap time came a little earlier than expected and since they got tired, they'd probably sleep longer than usual so that would mean their lunch will be a little late. Oh well, as long as they rest and eat properly then there won't be any problem.

I quietly exit the function hall and put up a "Do not disturb" sign by the door. I head over to the nurse's station.

"Emi-chan? Are the kids on break?" one of the nurses asks.

"Yup. They got tired from singing two hours straight haha. They have a lot of energy today; I hope I can keep up."

"Haha. Do your best, Emi-chan!"

One of them hands me a cup of tea to drink.

"Thank you very much for what you're doing, Emi-chan. It really is a big help not only to us but to the children as well." The nurse says.

The other nurse joins in on the conversation. "Actually, it's not only the children but everyone else here in the cancer division is happy and thankful for what you do. Every time you come over, things become livelier and happier. It really helps them cope with the suffering they are experiencing and it's a great change of pace here in the hospital. Thank you very much."

"You people give me too much credit! I'm merely just bringing music and some stories over to the people here in the cancer division. It's the least I can do to pay you guys back for all the things you've done for Yasuko."

The nurses look at each other with bittersweet expressions. They too got close to Yasuko when she was staying here so when she died, they were affected too. They even spared some time to attend the funeral.

"Ah, since they got tired and are sleeping right now, they might eat lunch a little later. Is that okay or do I have to wake them up?"

"It's okay. They ate a lot during breakfast."

"Maybe that's why they're so energetic today! I should have eaten breakfast too!"

The nurses giggle.

"Emi-chan, you haven't eaten? We have some spare food from breakfast, would you like to eat them?"

"Is it really okay?!"

"Of course, silly. The food is on the table at the back room." The nurse points at the room behind the nurse's station where the lockers are found.

"Thank you very much! I appreciate it! I'll go eat and rest for now. Excuse me."

I head to the back room.

"She hasn't changed much from back then, no?"  
"Hmm, I guess so but she still hasn't gotten over the death of her best friend. Poor child, I hope she doesn't blame herself for anything."  
"Yes. Yasuko-san died because of the complications that developed due to her cancer. It had become really bad that there was nothing we all could have done."  
"It's so sad to lose someone who's important to you."  
"Indeed. When a person dies, more than one person suffers—the person who died and the ones who cherished him or her. The saddest part is that those who were left behind in this world carry the burden of grief for a long period of time; others even carry it until their deaths."  
"I hope that Emi-chan would not be one of those who grieve until their own death."  
"I'm sure that Yasuko-san would have wanted her to move on and enjoy her life."

* * *

"That hit the spot! The food was delicious! I didn't know that hospital food could taste this good."

I put away the dishes properly and look at the time.

"I'll check on them around eleven o'clock. I'm pretty sure they're still asleep right now."

I decide to walk around the fourth floor. I visit a few of the older patients especially the elders and talk to them a bit; some of them listened to some songs while others even played some board games with me. They were just as fun to be with as the children. The thing I like the best about hanging out with the elders is listening to their stories and seeing their eyes light up all of a sudden; it's such a wonderful sight.

"Hello? Junko-san?"

"Emi-chan! You're here!" an old lady says.

"It's been a while, Junko-san. It's good to see you're doing well."

"I feel a little sad though when I found out you were here last week but you didn't come to visit me!"

"Hehe. Sorry about that! I was late last week so I didn't have some extra time to come over here to this side of the division."

"Busy with the children?"

"Yup."

"Hehehe, those little ones have become quite lively these past few days! Sometimes they would even come over here to the elders' area and play with us. So you were late last week? That means you got scolded by the head nurse."

"I sure did get a good long one."

Junko-san laughs.

"But you know there's another youngster like you roaming around the hospital."

"Eh?"

"He was here a while ago; he was a handsome and kind young fellow."

"A new nurse?"

"Not a nurse. I was told that he's a new volunteer like you."

"That's rare. Why did he volunteer? Is he some part of a charity foundation or group?"

"Hmm if this old lady's memory is right, I remember one of the nurses told me that he volunteered here to help the parents of one of the children in the cancer ward. I heard that the parents needed someone to look after the child from time to time for them especially on Fridays and Sundays."

"Did the parents get busier?"

"It seems so but they do visit the child at least two or three times a week. The parents had to take on more overtime because the child's condition is slowly getting worse so they need more money to pay for the medicine and treatments."

"But I was told that all of the children were doing better?! When I was with them earlier, they themselves told me that they were doing well."

"That's correct for the time being but two weeks ago, the child had some complications."

"I didn't know that; I wasn't informed of that. Do you know who the child is?"

"Who was it again?" Junko-san thinks for a moment. "Ah, this old lady's memory is going bad with the age. I don't remember name but she's the little one staying in room 412."

My chest tightens. Breathing for a moment becomes hard and a sharp pain aches as if a knife was quickly lunged into that spot.

"What was her name again?" Junko-san continues to try to recall the child's name.

"Akane."

"Yes! Akane! That's the one. She's the little one staying in room 412 who sings very well. She always sings a song for us elders when she comes by."

My expression starts to be filled with worry as Junko-san continues to talk.

Akane-chan was admitted to the hospital when she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of five years old; that was a year after Yasuko died. She stayed for a few session of therapy and then she got better. She was allowed to go home and attend school but she was admitted again after two months because her condition got worse. Since then, she's been kept here in the hospital at room 412, in the same room as Yasuko, because her condition became unpredictable from time to time. Every time I see her, I remember Yasuko because her condition was the same. I have been volunteering to help out in the cancer ward ever since Yasuko had to stay in the hospital. Of all the patients I've interacted with aside from Yasuko, Akane has been the one I've become closest to. I've already lost so many people who were important to me. I don't know if I will be able to handle the day when Akane's time runs out; I can't bear to think about the death of someone as young and bright as her.

So far, Akane has been able to live this far. She'll be turning seven years old on December; I'll make sure to celebrate her birthday.

The door of the room suddenly opens.

Junko-san smiles as she sees the person coming in. "Ran-chan, you came back."

The man with spiky silver white hair puts a tray on the side table.

"I took longer than expected. Sorry about that, granny."

"Oh dear, it's alright. Thank you for the trouble."

"YOU?!" Kurosaki and I say as we make eye contact and point at each other in surprise.

"Oh! Do you two know each other? How surprising."

"Junko-san, this guy is so rude and grumpy all the time!"

"This kid got no manners, granny! She was such a bother in the morning train!"

"I see you two get along well. That's good." Junko-san smiles.

Kurosaki's eyebrows suddenly furrow.

"THERE! YOU SEE THAT, JUNKO-SAN?! Look at those eyebrows digging deep! See?! He's not a friendly guy and has this nasty expression almost all the time!"

"What did you just say?! Clearly this kid has no respect or manners, granny! You see this?!"

"Hahaha! You two are so amusing! Are you two trying to enter into comedy? I think Ran-chan and Emi-chan will do well."

Kurosaki and I slump our shoulders as Junko-san continues to laugh at us.

"Whatever, just stay away from the children. You'll scare them."

"On the contrary, the children are okay with him." Junko-san says.

"Eh? What?"

"He has played with the children a few times already and they're okay with him; they say that he's a nice Onii-san. Isn't that cute?" Junko-san smiles. "He's been good to Akane-chan as well."

I glare at Kurosaki for a moment and then went on my way to the door.

"Fine. I'll play nice as long as he's nice to the children but do anything funny and I'll bite back real hard! I'll go wake up the children now; it's time for them to eat. See you around, Junko-san."

"Work hard as always and take care, Emi-chan." Junko-san waves at me and I briefly wave back before heading towards the hallway.

"Does she really think I'm such an idiot?! I just don't get women at all." Kurosaki says as he scratches his head.

"Haha. You have to forgive her sometime Ran-chan. She has her reasons to have her walls put up so high around new people here in the hospital." Junko-san looks at the window in the room. "She treasures this hospital and the people here in the cancer division."

"She a cancer survivor or something like that?"

"Oh heavens no, she never had cancer!"

"Then why the attachment to the cancer division?"

"Her best friend had cancer. The two were very close; they were like inseparable sisters. Her friend died just before graduating high school because the cancer had caused too many complications by that time. It was an unfortunate fate but I think she was lucky to have died peacefully; she died in her sleep."

"Did that kid stay by her best friend's side?"

"The whole time. Emi-chan was by her friend's side from the day her friend was diagnosed with cancer until the second her friend died. She was always there."

Kurosaki averts his eyes to the floor. "She was brave then to be able to handle all that. It's not easy to be with someone you're close with whom you know could die at any immediate time."

The two became silent for a moment.

"Why don't you grab that chair and listen to this old lady's story for a while?"

"Sure, I don't mind."

Kurosaki grabs a chair and sits beside Junko-san's bed.

"What's your story going to be about this time, granny?"

"It's something I remembered about when I was a kid! During grade school, we had to do a play based on Osamu Dazai's 'Run, Melos!' Everyone in class was…"

* * *

 **Author's Note: The song I made for this chapter takes its melody after "21st Century Lovers" by Granrodeo :3 hehe**


	5. Chapter 5: Familiar

**CHAPTER 5: Familiar**

I feel like I'm forgetting something. Ah right, I forgot so sign in on the log sheet when I came. I have to or else I'll get in trouble with the staff. The log sheet is at the nurse's station, right? That's at the other end of the hall…such a pain.

"Kurosaki-san! What brings you to the nurse station?" one of the nurses asks.

"I forgot to sign in on the log sheet this morning when I came. Can I sign on it now?"

"No problem! Here you go."

"Thanks."

"Will you be staying here at the hospital till late evening, Kurosaki-san?"

"Probably. It'll depend on Akane."

"I see. I'm guessing you'll get to go home earlier today since Emi-chan is here."

"Emi? That black haired girl?"

"Yes. Whenever she's here, the children get tired after playing with her all day long that they fall asleep early."

"Isn't that bad for the kids?"

"Not at all. Emi-chan knows the limits of the children so they don't over exert themselves. She's been coming to this hospital for a long time just for the children. She comes to play with them, to cheer them up, and to keep them company but the reason why we ask her to come on Fridays is to let the children fall asleep just before they're given their therapy."

"So she makes them tired enough to sleep through the kids' chemotherapy sessions?"

"That's right. The best part is that the children won't have to struggle or feel much pain."

Loud laughter of children echo thru the hall.

"Haha. It seems the children have finished eating their lunch and are back to playing with Emi-chan. That was fast! Why don't you go join them? I'm sure the kids will be happy to play with you too; they've taken a liking to you."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to take a peek at them."

"Haha. Shy, aren't you?"

"I ain't shy."

"Hahaha! No need to be dishonest with yourself. Go on, they're at the function hall. You can check on Akane-chan too while you're there."

I finish filling up the log sheet and make my way down to the function hall. The laughter of the kids gets louder and louder as I get closer to the function hall. One of the doors was open so I decided to lean by it and watch the kids playing happily.

"I'm going to get you!"  
"No way! You'll never catch me, Emi-neesan!"  
"Whaaa! Run that way, guys!"  
"H-Hey! That's not fair guys! I can't catch any of you if you're all going to split up!"

The kids laugh as Emi tries to catch them anyway.

"Ha! I got you!" Emi shouts as she grabs hold of Akane. "I'm going to eat you for making run around so much! Nom nom nom nom!"

"Whaaa! Hahahahah! That tickles a lot! Help meee!"

All the other kids then go running towards Emi and start tickling her.

"H-Hey! That's unfair! Noooo! Hahahahaha!"

Emi ends up letting go of Akane who then joins in on tickling her.

"Eh?"

Akane sees me standing by the door.

"Ran-chan!" She shouts as she comes running towards me and hugs my leg.

"Whoa there kiddo, you gotta be careful when runnin' that fast." I pat her head.

"Ran-chan! Come join us! Come play with Emi-neesan and everyone else!"

She starts pulling my pants and leads me into the hall.

"Emi-neesan! Look! Ran-chan in here!"

Emi looks back and her expression turns from a smile to a grim frown the moment she sees me. It's not like I'm happy to see her either. I'm kind of annoyed how she's trying to hold her laugh; I bet she's laughing at the name Akane's calling me by.

The moment Akane goes to her, she puts back on her smile; what a chameleon.

"Emi-neesan, this is Ran-chan. He's friends with mama and papa and he comes to check on me when they're too busy to come."

"Is that so? Has he been treating you well?"

"Yes! He plays with me and gives me tasty snacks!"

"It's good to know he's treating you well."

"Ran-chan treats us all kindly!" Ryo says.

"Yeah! I wish I had a big brother like him!" Kaido says.

"Me too." Tsukiko says.

"Let's let him join us, Emi-neesan! The more the merrier, right?" Ken asks Emi.

For a moment, she sends a sharp glare at me.

"Well…if you guys want him to play with us, then I have no choice but to agree."

"Yay!" the kids cheer.

"This time, Ran-chan will be the monster! Emi-neesan will be one of us!" Chiharu-chan

"Oh I see! Okay!" Emi says. "Could you guys get off of me first so I can stand up? Haha."

The kids let go of her one by one. I decide to help her get up by lending her a hand. She glares at me again but takes my hand anyway and I pull her up.

"Thanks." She says forcefully.

"What's with the gloves? I'd get why you'd be wearing them outside but why are you still wearing them here?"

"None of your business. What's with the nickname 'Ran-chan'? It's too cute to suit someone like you."

"Urgh. It's all that idiot's fault…"

"Which idiot?"

"One of the guys in my idol unit."

"Ah, so it's someone from Quartet Night. I'm guessing it's Reiji; it's definitely him."

"Yeah that's right—Wait, so you know Quartet Night?"

"Well duh, we work in the same agen—I mean you guys are from Shining Agency and your group's pretty famous; only a person who's been living under a rock wouldn't know your group."

She starts doing some stretches and then looks at the children.

"That's enough chit chat. The little guys have been waiting!"

She turns to me and then pokes my forehead with a little force.

"Tag. You're it, ya big monster."

She smiles at me mischievously before running to the other end of the room.

"Run away! The monster is going to get us!" Kaido says.

"Oh no!" Mia says as she laughs while running.

These kids sure are full of energy. I better play along; I don't want to disappoint them.

I pretend to have claws. "I'm gonna get you kids! Better watch out!" I start running after them.

"He's getting closer! Run!" Akane says.

"You'll never catch us!" Ryo says.

"We'll see about that, kid! I'm coming to get ya!"

We all kept playing non-stop with one game after the other. I'm kind of impressed by Emi; she didn't run out of ideas for games to play until the end. When the children got tired and sleepy, we sent them back to their respective hospital beds. The nurses then quietly enter their rooms to give them their therapy while they were all fast asleep.

"Thank you for your hard work." The nurse says to Emi and me.

"No problem. I'm glad that I was able to help out again." Emi says.

"You two can go on home. Be careful on your way back."

"Thanks. You guys take care too." Emi says.

* * *

I change my clothes in the men's locker room and sign on the log sheet one last time.

"Thank you for your hard work today, Kurosaki-san. Did you bring an umbrella with you today?"

"An umbrella?"

"It's currently raining outside. How unexpected, no? The weather report said that it was going to be clear but I guess the weather has its mood swings too."

"You've got to be kidding me." I hold my head in annoyance as I stand by the front entrance of the hospital.

How the hell am I gonna get home? The nearest station is kind of far from here; I'll be soaking wet before I get there and then I have to walk a distance back to the apartment. Damn it.

"Hey."

I look behind me and see Emi.

"Are you on your way home?" she asks.

"Yeah but," I point at the weather. "it's raining like hell. I have to wait it out if I wanna get home drier than a soaked sponge."

"Which way are you headed?"

"The nearest station."

"Same way as this morning?"

"Yeah."

She steps out of the hospital entrance and opens her umbrella. "Then come on and get in the umbrella. We're going the same way back."

"You kidding me? You alright with me going with ya?"

"Honestly, I'm not okay sharing an umbrella with you but since you helped me with the kids today then I guess this is pay back for helping out. Besides, that cap of yours isn't going to help you keep dry. You coming or not? You have three seconds to decide then I'm leaving. One, two—"

"I'm taking the offer!"

I immediately get under her umbrella and walk at her pace.

"You don't mind holding the umbrella? I'm taller than you so I can hold it."

"Nah, it's okay. I don't mind and if I get mad at you, I can always just run off with the umbrella and leave you to turn into a super soaked sponge."

"You've got an evil side in you."

"I definitely do. I'm not denying it."

She suddenly lowers the umbrella and it ends up hitting my head before she levels it back higher.

"Ow! That hurt!"

"If you got a problem with me, you're free to join the rainy day club."

I growl at her as she smirks at me.

The station was in sight. I'm gonna be free from this witch in a few more steps! I've never been excited to catch the train like this before.

"Whoa!"

A strong gust of wind suddenly blows towards us. I instinctively cover my face and hold my hat on my head.

"My umbrella!" Emi says.

I open my eyes a little and see the umbrella flying towards our backs. I turn around and go after it.

"Gotcha! Hey, I got you umbrella."

I turn around and see her looking around by the bushes on the side. I get over to her and hold the umbrella over us.

"What are you doin'?" I ask.

Huh? Her hand is injured? It's pretty covered up with bandages.

"It's nothing! Don't look or bother me for a moment!"

"Your hand is injured? Is the other one covered in bandages too? Is that why you were wearing gloves all day long?"

She irritatingly looks at me and puts a finger on her mouth. "Could you just be quiet and help me find my glove?!"

"Hold on a minute."

I grab hold of her hand and look at her bandaged hand; somehow it seems familiar.

"Let go of me!"

"You've got to be kidding me. Don't tell me that you're—!"

I notice that her hair seemed off. I think it's a wig 'cause it kinda seems to be misplaced because of the strong wind a while ago. I grab hold of her hair and pull.

Her face is shocked as I pull of her wig and her real hair comes out.

"What the hell?! Aren't you that kid with the cat and nagging manager?!"

She covers my mouth all of a sudden. "Pipe down will ya?! That's right! I am that 'kid with the cat and nagging manager'! I have a name for your information! It's Eika!"

She finds her glove and puts it back on. She swipes her wig from my hand and puts it back on right away.

"What the hell did you do that for?! Listen, I don't want anyone else finding out about this okay?! Especially my manager and the agency!"

"How come? It's not like it isn't allowed. The agency itself started a charity thing for idols to take part in and that's one of the reasons how I got to volunteer at the hospital."

"I just don't want them to know! I don't want to give anyone the opportunity to use the hospital or the children for any publicity. I don't want them to be used by the media for pity or making an image or any sort of thing like that; I'll end up murdering the media if they dare get near the hospital."

"You care a lot about the people back at the hospital, don't ya?"

"More than my own career."

She gets up and starts walking towards the station; I follow her with the umbrella. We end up taking the same train going back since we did come from the same station in the morning. It's a long way back home and since I was bored, I decided to chat her up a little; I'm bored and tired.

"Ya know, I didn't recognize you with that disguise of yours in the hospital. Not only do you look different from usual, you're hella lot a different in terms of personality; you were way nicer to people and more well-mannered."

"I could say the same to you personality wise. Plus it sucks that your colored eye is fake though I totally thought it was a contact lense for sure from the start; you didn't have it on today. Oh, and having your hair unstyled and flat like that makes you look so normal…like a dork."

Urgh. This woman's got a sharp tongue. She's gonna make me pop a vein one day.

"So why do they call you Emi in the hospital? Don't they call you by your name?"

"Well Ran-chan," she says teasingly.

I look at her with a mean look. "Enough with that nickname, would ya?"

"Hahaha. Yeah, yeah, I got it; I'll stop. So you mean by Eika? Eika is not my real name; it's just a stage name."

"Ah, I see. Your real name is Emi then?"

"Hmm not exactly. It's my nickname. I didn't want to use my real name when I debuted as an idol for Shining Agency because I thought it didn't really suit the image I was aiming to have and besides, I've been using Eika as a stage name since high school and have been known by that name as a performer though I did use my real name for certain venues and performances."

"Since high school? You telling me that you've been playing since then?"

"Yeah. I took gigs back in high school to get some extra money since the money I get from my part-time jobs weren't enough. Did you play back when you were in high school?"

"I was playing already but I'm guessing I started gigs a later than you did."

"Did you suck then?"

"Hell no! I've been awesome from the start., kid"

"Conceited, aren't you?"

"Confident."

She sighs.

"So did you perform solo?"

"Not at first; I only went solo after graduation. I had a partner—my best friend. Her name was Yasuko; she would compose songs for me and she played the keyboard and drums. She was great both as a person and as a musician. The best part about her was that she could compose songs of different genres! Man, I think she was a genius. One moment she's giving you this classical music type of song and then bam! She gives you this heavy rock song then a full blown jazzy song. Then despite her composing a new song practically every day, she manages to keep her grades up in school! I wish I could have done that back then haha. My grades weren't bad back then but I do wish they were higher."

"This Yasuko person sounds cool."

"Cool, amazing, awesome, those words can't express how great she was. I looked up to her a lot!"

"Where is she now? You two decided to split or something?"

"…Not exactly." A wry smile forms on her face as she looks outside the train's window.

She didn't say anything after that and I didn't bother asking anything more or to talk to her further; she had this heavy atmosphere hanging over her. Besides, she didn't take her eyes off of the window.

This kind of leaves me hangin'. Maybe they got into a fight or decided to go solo. Maybe this Yasuko person betrayed her or the other way around? Betrayal is a sharp knife to the back and brings nothin' but trouble; I should know.

I groan a little with all the thoughts going thru my head. I've got no time wonderin' about a person's story. Man, I must be losing it today. Playing with kids is like a sport; endurance is everything. I got some time to take a nap. I'll just close my eyes for a bit.

* * *

"H…ey! Hey, Kurosaki! Wake up! Hey!"

"Hnngh…noisy woman…"

"What did you just say to me?!"

A sucker punch comes flying from my side and hits me right in the pit of my stomach. Actually, I don't know if it was a punch from a fist or a really heavy blow from an elbow.

"I guess you're awake now. You got ten seconds to get out of the train or miss your our stop."

"Couldn't you have woken me up like a normal person?! That seriously hurt to the guts!"

"I tried waking you up like a normal person! You wouldn't wake up at all! Do you sleep like a log?!"

"I'm a light sleeper; I'd usually wake up right away when someone bothers me. I guess I got more tired than usual today."

"You're weak."

"Heh. You ain't a woman; you're a monster."

"And a proud one, to add."

We walk thru the crowd and leave the station quietly.

"I guess it didn't rain in this area."

"Seems like it. Everything's dry as it can be."

"Then that means I can have my umbrella back and leave you."

She holds out her hand and I give her her umbrella.

"I'll finally be freed of a monster." I say to her.

"Same goes for me." She says happily. "Goodbye and I hope I won't have to work with you any time soon!"

"Heh. For once we agree on something, kid."

She goes on ahead first but I notice that she's going down the same direction as I was going to. I continue walking but she's still some steps ahead of me. I guess she lives near my neighborhood? It would be a load of crap if she did.

She suddenly stops walking after a while and turns around to face me. "WOULD YOU STOP FOLLOWING ME?!"

"Following you?! I have no intention following a beast like you around! This is where I pass to get home, you idiot!"

"No way!"

"Hell yes! So stop accusing me of things that aren't even true, you crazy woman!"

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Just don't come near me or else I'll land another hard punch to your gut!"

"Like I would get near a monster like you!"

"Good to know!"

She continues walking and so do I but it's bugging me how we're going thru the same streets and turns. I'm getting a bad feeling about this.

I enter my apartment building and just as I feared…she enters the building too.

I look at her with a grim expression. "Don't tell me…"

"…You live here too?!"

We both put our hands on our faces in dismay.

"You've got to be kidding me…" I grumble.

"How long have you been living here?!"

"I dunno. For a long time now I think. I picked this place 'cause the rent is cheap but the place is nice! I live on the tenth floor."

"I live on the eighth."

The moment she said that, our faces turned glum because we realized that we'll be taking the elevator together. Damn it.

"Gods, why have you forsaken me…?" She says in a murmur.

I was finally able to remove my hat once we got in the elevator. Emi on the other hand removes her wig and stuffs it into her bag.

"Eh? What are you looking at?" she asks.

"It's just that changin' your hairstyle and hair color really makes you look different."

"Hmm everyone keeps saying that. When I decided to bleach my hair in high school, everyone thought I was a transfer student haha. Do I really look that different? That's an advantage in hiding myself in public."

"Was the black wig styled after your old hair?"

"Yup."

"It suits you better. Your black hair, I mean."

She stares at me for a moment and then looks away. "Creep."

I just don't get women at all. Why do they all have to be so complicated and twisted? I was just pointing out that she looked better with her black hair. What's wrong with that? Tsk. Either I don't get it or I'm just not good with women at all.

*ping*

The elevator stops at the eighth floor and Emi steps out.

"You better not tell anyone about me helping out at the hospital, 'kay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Lips are sealed with a lock."

The doors of the elevator start to close.

"…Thanks." She faintly says just before the doors shut.

I arrive at the tenth floor and enter my apartment.

"It's great to be home for once; I wish I could just get home more often these days but having more work isn't bad either."

Crap, I forgot to set out some food for the street cats this morning before I left. I'll just set out some food for them before I sleep or early in the morning before I leave for some jogging rounds.

I lie down on the couch when my cell phone suddenly rings.

"Hello?"

"Kurosaki-kun, it's Mr. and Mrs. Uwamoto."

"Ah, Akane's parents. Good evening."

"Good evening to you too. How was Akane-chan today? Was she in good health?"

"She was in good condition; there's nothing to worry about. I gave her the items you delivered to me the other day and she drank her vitamins and medications."

"That's good to hear. Thank you for your hard work."

"No problem. You two can count on me for help any time. Are you two taking care of yourselves? It ain't good to overwork and you'll make Akane worry."

"Thank you for worrying about us, Kurosaki-kun. We're in good health and we intend to stay healthy for ourselves and for Akane hehe."

"Good to hear. You two don't have any reason to kick the bucket any time soon."

"Hehe. That's true! We have to go now. Thank you again and take care, Kurosaki-kun. Bye bye."

The call ends and I put down my cell phone on the table.

"My back is killing me. I should probably move to the bed."

I say that but I end up closing my eyes for a second and fall asleep on the couch.


	6. Chapter 6: Fast Track

**CHAPTER 6: Fast Track**

The department head thanks all of the staff members. I head for my dressing room after giving my personal thanks too to the people I worked with. Being invited to this variety show was fun especially when it was the team competition part!

Madoka is still discussing some things with the department head and some staff members so I guess I have some time to rest in the dressing room. I'll probably just try to master the script and sequence of the next commercials I'll be doing.

"Hm? Nah, I this commercial's taping is still weeks from now so I'll put this to the side for now. "

I pick up the script that has a pair of shoes on the cover.

"Oh, this one's taping is next week. I'll work on this one."

I open the script and discover that I've got a few lines on this one. I spend some time experimenting on the different ways I could deliver my lines.

"Life is boring without taking risks. If you don't know what to do when you're in a pinch, believe in yourself and just wing it!"

I close the script of the commercial I was tasked to do; it's for a brand that makes rubber shoes that a lot of people are into. The shoes that the company makes are nice and all but I think their tag line is just…so…cheesy. 'Just wing it'? I only have a few lines for this commercial but man, I think it's so cheesy that I feel like cringing just thinking about how this will roll out on the taping day; I have to get numb to this cheesy script as soon as possible.

"Nakahara, don't sit like that on the couch of the dressing room; this isn't your house. Besides, if you fall upside down, you'll hurt yourself."

I sit upright and put down the script on the table.

"There you go again. I told you to stop switching from Nakahara to Koemi and vice versa all the time; make up your mind. It's bad enough I have to respond to 'Eika' too. At least just call me Koemi when it's just us, Madoka."

"Sigh. You do have a point; it will make things easier on my end as well. Calling you by three names is a hefty task in itself."

"You can drop the formal speech too if you want. I don't really care about it; you know that."

"It's a habit as long as I'm on working hours." She says as she writes down something on the clip board she's holding. "How's the script for that commercial?"

"Urgh. I have nothing against the brand but kill me now. The script is so cheesy that it's going to give me cancer. I can't believe advertisements like these really work on people."

"The wonders of the advertising and business world, Koemi. Wonders."

"I'll do my best of course to make the commercial a success."

"I'm pretty sure you will do just fine. You've had a lot of successful works for the past few months. The sales and feedbacks regarding your singles are doing really well; you're scheduled to release your second album two weeks from now. Then you've appeared in several advertisements and shows of which all have good feedbacks and ratings too."

My eyes light up to her words and I sit upright, facing her. "Praise me, dear manager."

"E-Excuse me?"

"Tell me I did a good job, Madoka!" I say happily.

She gives me a weird look with her signature scowl and then sighs. "Fine. You did a good job, Koemi. There, happy now?"

"Yay me!" I say playfully. "But to tell ya the truth, gaining more recognition is nice and all but the increasing work load can really take a toll on you. I've never been this tired in a really long while."

"True. I haven't done this much paper work and people relations in a while either."

"Oh! We should go to a hot spring for the next long vacation! We can totally relax there!"

"Sounds nice but looking for a hot spring that allows pets will be a little hard. That it is if you're going to bring the cat along."

"When there's a will, there's a way! If no go on the hot springs, we could always do something else or go somewhere else. By the way, aside from this commercial, what's the next line up on my job list?"

"Since you're working on your album as of now, we don't have a lot of projects lined up for the rest of the month. All that's left aside from the album recordings would be your photo shoot for KissxLips' new line of lipsticks and an appearance for a talk show wherein they'll interview you live."

"Ah, okay. Can we go get some—"

*beep beep beep*

"It's rare for you to get a message other than from me." Madoka says.

"Yeah." I look at the message I received all of a sudden.

Huh? It's Kurosaki. I forgot that we exchanged numbers when we were volunteering at the hospital just in case there would be any emergencies or change in shifts or in case one of us can't go.

" _Can I call you right now?_ "

Call? What does he need? I don't think he's the type to message or call much so maybe it's important; I'll take his call outside.

"Where are you going, Koemi?"

"I'll just get some air for a while. I'll be back before the break ends."

"Alright, don't wander around too far and don't go stealing donuts again from the snack table."

"Yes ma'am and that was just that one time! I'm not going to do that again!"

I head towards the back end of the studio where no one else was around and dial Kurosaki's number.

"…Hello? What do you need, Kurosaki?"

There was some silence for a few seconds then sounds started coming from his end; sounds like the phone's being passed around or something.

"Hello?" I say again.

"Wait a sec…Don't…"  
"I want…say…her…"  
"Alright already…wait…here…take…"

The shuffling sounds continue on.

"Sigh. Hello?" I say…again. "Anyone there?"

"Hello? Emi-neesan?"

"Akane?!"

"Emi-neesan! How are you? I miss you already."

"I miss you too Akane-chan but hold on, what's this all of a sudden?"

Shuffling sounds can be heard again; I guess the phone's being passed around again.

"Yo, you still there?"

"Kurosaki, what's up with this sudden call?"

"I'm at the hospital to check up on Akane and give her some stuff her parents wanted to give her. She kept complaining about missing you all of a sudden so I thought of callin' ya to speak with her; she wouldn't stop whining a while ago."

"Seriously? Haha. Give her back your phone for a sec."

"Yeah, yeah, here she is."

The phone is being passed again.

"…Emi-neesan, how are you?"

"I'm dandy. I'm at work at the moment but it's break time."

"Oh! What are you doing this time?"

"A taping for that variety show you like to watch during the afternoon on weekdays. Well, technically we ended the taping of the games ended already and we're on break now; all that's left is to record our thoughts and final messages then we're done."

"I'm going to see you on TV again?! I'm excited to see you compete on the show! I won't miss it for sure! Did you win?"

She sounds so excited over the phone that it makes me giggle a little. "Tell me what you think about the show's episode when you finish watching it. I won't tell you anything about it so you'll have to find out by catching the show!"

"Okay!"

"So how about you? How are you over there?"

"I'm fine. It's boring as usual when you're not around."

"Really? But don't you have Ran-chan over there with you today?"

"He can't stay long so we won't be able to play."

"That's sad to hear. Let's play lots the next time I visit you How's that sound?"

"Sounds great!"

"Hehe. I'll throw in a new song for you too."

"Hey Emi-neesan, I have a question."

"What is it? Go ahead and ask. Don't be shy."

"How come Ran-chan has your phone number? Are you two dating?"

"WHAT?! We are certainly not dating, Akane-chan! We're just co-workers. We work under the same agency and we both volunteer at the hospital; we got each other's number to communicate for work."

"Ah…okay."

"What's with that sullen tone? You can't be seriously shipping us two. My taste in men isn't that low, give me a break."

"But I like both of you so it would be nice if you two can come together all the time."

"Akane-chan, Ran-chan and I don't have to be a couple to come see you together. Just ask and we'll provide with no doubts...but I have a lot of work on my plate for now since I'm working on a new album so I might not be able to come often for a while."

"Aww…You'll be busy for a while again?"

"Sadly, yeah. I won't be able to visit for a while but when I do get to visit you, I'll make sure we'll have a good time so make sure you're always in good condition because you won't know when I'll suddenly drop by at the hospital!"

"Okay!"

"By the way, just between you and me, who do you think is the better rocker? Him or me?"

"Of course it's Emi-neesan."

I smile. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear from you! Good girl!"

We both laugh over the phone. I continue to talk to her for a while. She sure has a lot to say and to talk about; she's full of energy today so she's probably healthy. I should bring a cake next time.

"See you soon, Emi-neesan!"

"See you soon, you little ball of sunshine! Haha."

The sound of shuffling can be heard again.

"You there, Kurosaki?"

"Yeah."

"She doin' good?"

"She's great today; more energetic than usual."

"That's a relief. Her parents bought her snacks?"

"They got her some snacks, change of clothes, and some books."

"I see."

"What was that about you being busy?"

"I got some work to finish while makin' an album so I won't be having much free time for a while. That means you'll have to handle the kids there in the hospital in my place for a while alone."

"What? Seriously? It's gonna be a pain but I guess I'll endure."

"You better! Hm…It's strange."

"What is?"

"Talking to you over the phone. I thought of you as a person who doesn't own a phone or if you had one, you were the type who wouldn't use it much or at all."

"I don't really use it aside from work."

"Figures. I bet you got no social life."

"The hell with that? I just got no time to meet up with my friends."

"I'm surprised you haven't eaten your friends, Mr. Big Bad Wolf."

"Cut the crap."

"Heh. Whatever, I have to get back to work soon anyway."

"That's great; I won't have to continue listening to your yapping."

"I share your sentiments, Ran-chan."

"Don't call me by that stupid nickname!"

I end the call happily as I hear his annoyed voice. It's fun to mess with his head. Haha.

"Eika."

I hear Madoka's voice calling my name. I pop up and go towards her.

"Looking for me?" I say playfully. "It's still a while before break time ends. Why were you looking for me?"

"There you are. I'd like to introduce you to someone you'll be working with for the KissxLips photo shoot. I happen to see him when I went to give the papers I was signing a while ago; I thought that I might as well introduce you two to each other since you'll be working together."

I follow Madoka on the way back.

"Eika, this is the person you'll be working with for KissxLips."

A tall man with glasses appears before me; he has this big and confident smile on his face. His presence is quite…um…I think 'loud' would be the right term or perhaps he just rubs off as a strong person.

"Eika, this is Otori Eiichi. He's the other model for KissxLips; you two will be posing together at times for the photo shoot. Get along well, you two, for everyone's sake."

This Eiichi guy suddenly gets so close to me and puts his hand on my shoulder while looking at me intently.

"Um…Hey, you're too close for—"

"So you're Ms. Eika? You are much lovelier indeed in person! I've heard a lot about you. They say that you've been progressing well as an idol in a fairly fast pace. I've listened to your songs and have seen your live performances; you really are a magnificent piece of work."

"Uh…Thanks?"

"Oh, where are my manners. As your manager has said, I'm Otori Eiichi. I'm a member of the idol group called Heavens under Raging Entertainment. I'm glad to have this opportunity to work with you."

"Okay…? I'm Eika, an idol under Shining Agency. Let's do well on the photo shoot?"

"Don't worry! I know we'll do our best! We'll give KissxLips one of the best photos they'll ever have!" he says with all his might and with a big smile on his face with his hands in the air as if he was calling the sky to come down or something.

"Y-Yeah."

Man, not only is he too close but now he's holding my hand. I don't think this guy means any harm but has he ever heard of personal space? And isn't he a little too enthusiastic?

"Dear Eika, I'd love to stay and chat with you but I must return to my work in a while too. Let's go out for lunch if we get the chance! It will be a great opportunity to learn more about one another and to find out about our chemistry! Since we're in the same industry, for sure there will be more instances where we'll get to work with each other."

"I…guess so?"

I look at Madoka with a wry smile. She gives me a thumb up and then slides it across her neck, ensuring me that she'll do her best not to get jobs with this guy again. I quickly give her a thumb up when Eiichi wasn't lookin'.

"Shall we keep in touch by exchanging numbers?" Eiichi asks.

Madoka suddenly comes in between us and grabs him by the collar. "Alright Casanova, break time is almost over right? It's time for you to go back to where you came from. If I remember correctly, you came from the other side of the second corridor over there. Let me escort you back."

She starts dragging him across the floor, holding tightly onto his collar. I think he'll choke to death before he's returned to his work spot.

"See…you…again…soon…Eika-chan…ack…" he says with his last breath as he waves at me across the floor.

"Uh…See you around, Eiichi." I wave back to him out of pity.

"See you, Eik—ACK!"

Madoka pulled him stronger making him lose consciousness for a moment. She returns after a few minutes and her face is filled with irritation and slight relief.

"He seems like a handful, Madoka. Do I really have to work with him?" I whine.

"Sadly, yes. You have to work with him on KissxLips and besides, it's true that you're both in the same industry so why prolong the waiting time of the inevitable suffering and just get it over and done with instead. Sigh. "

"He's not that bad…just weird and eccentric."

"I heard that he isn't a bad person as well and just as you say, he has a few screws loose and a brother complex."

"Brother complex?"

"He has a younger brother who is surprisingly tamed and very modest—quite the opposite of his brother, Eiichi and his father, Raging Otori."

"Wait, he's Raging Otori's son?! The president of Raging Entertainment?!"

"Yes, you are correct."

"…Well, I do see some resemblance in Eiichi with his father."

"It shows but I hear Eiichi is more reasonable and kinder than his father. Anyway, break time is almost done. Go prepare for the next segment."

"Okay!"

"By the way, Eika."

"Hm? Yeah?"

"Who were you talking to on the phone a while ago?"

"What?"

"You suddenly went out after receiving a text. I assume it was someone requesting a call."

"U-Uh, it was just a friend who had an important question."

She looks at me intensely. "A friend?"

"Yes. A friend."

"I don't want to doubt you but I would like to remind you that Shining Agency has a "no love" rule; it means that you can't be in a relationship with anyone inside or outside of the agency or else it will bring trouble with the president."

"Heh. That's weird. Didn't Saotome become lenient about that rule? I heard students can already date each other back at the academy and aren't Yamashita Kaori and Mikaze Ai a couple and married?"

"Well, the students can under certain conditions and if they pass the test that Saotome gives them but the rule is technically still there and it applies too to the idols under Shining Agency. Regarding Yamashita and Mikaze, those two were a product of a miracle. You do know what Mikaze and Yamashita had to do and had to go thru in order to get Saotome's approval, right? It was no easy task especially what Mikaze had to do."

"True that. Kaori maintined a really high performance rate and went nowhere but up , up, and up while Ai had some serious demands to fulfil too. I'm really impressed that Ai was able to break Saotome's record; that was totally incredible."

"He was remarkable. You should look up to him as a role model for your career."

"Hmm. I would if we were in the same genre of music haha but really, he's a great idol; I won't deny that."

"Now that you mention it, Mikaze's music is different from yours. If you were to ask me, I think you're closer to Starish's Shinomiya or Quartet Night's Kurosaki."

"I'm confident in saying that I'm wayyy better than those two. No offense to them though."

"You're too confident. Prove it with results."

"Hehe. Just wait and see, Madoka! I'll surprise everyone without a hint!"

"Good luck with that then. I'll be more positive about the future of your career that way."

"Are you saying you have no faith in me?! Aw c'mon!"

"I'll believe you if you give me results and a long vacation."

"But that means I have to work extra harder!"

"Not like you have a choice."

"Arrrrrgghhhhhhhhhh. Whyyyyyyyyyy."

"It's life."

"Hmph. Can I eat a snack?"

"You should have eaten during the break. If you eat now, you'll be late for the next and last segment of today's work. Now go and move faster, Eika."

"Yes...ma'am...urgh."


	7. -Koemi Nakahara Profile-

Hi there~

I decided to write a description profile of Koemi because I realized that I wasn't able to describe her much during the story ^^; Sorries!

So here is Koemi:

Name: Koemi Nakahara

Stage Name: Eika

Nicknames: Emi-chan, Koe-san, Hara-san, Eika-chan

Height: 5'3"

Skin: Fair

Unique Facial Features: Has a small mole under her left eye. Most people don't notice it unless they look at her face closely. Her make up also gets to cover it sometimes. She also has a mole on her right collar bone area.

Birthday: April 21

Hair color: Currently light brown. Originally black (dark brown to be exact meaning it looks black but if light hits her hair, you can see the brown-ness of her hair)

Hair type and length: Straight hair down until above her butt.


	8. Chapter 7: Lipstick

**CHAPTER 7: Lipstick**

"We're here, Koemi. Make sure you greet the other staff members especially the photographer and manager of KissxLips." Madoka says as we get out of her car.

"Hey, hey, Madoka, if I do a good job on this one, can we go eat some sushi? Not the conveyor belt one."

"I'll think about it."

"Pleaseeeeeeeee?"

"I'll think about it." She says with a stressed tone as she fixes her glasses.

The moment we enter the studio, the first thing that caught my attention were the lights and set up. The lights were so bright that the whole studio looks like it's receiving the sun's light from the sky. The backdrop of the set was surprisingly blank and white; I anticipated it to be colorful and flashy but I guess they have a different vision from me.

"Good morning, Eika-san!" one of the staff greets me if a smile.

"Good morning to you too. Let's get along well and work hard."

Everyone else then notices that I've arrived and starts greeting me. Of course I greet them all back and gave some words of encouragement but I've noticed that everyone seems to be genuinely nice; that's awesome. I have a feeling that today's shoot will be fun!

"Eika!" a voice calls out from a distance.

I turn to the source of that voice and to my horror, a glowing and smiling Eiichi is coming towards me.

At that moment I thought to myself, 'Then again I could be wrong.'

"Good morning! Let's work together to bring the best out of each other! We will give them a masterpiece they will never forget! A product that will forever be remembered by all! Bwahahahaha!" he laughs menacingly out of excitement. It gives me the creeps.

…I could be completely wrong. Sigh.

"Onwards to victory!"

He puts his arm over my shoulders and slowly I get forced to walk forward at his pace.

"Good luck, Eika. Endure for the sushi." Madoka briefly shouts at me.

I raise an arm as a sign that I heard her as I find myself vanishing into the horizon by Eiichi's pace of walking…sigh.

* * *

Eiichi ends up bringing me to the dressing room area and from there, we parted ways since we both had to get ready for the photo shoot; he entered his room and I entered mine.

I'm pretty impressed by the stylist 'cause he had a cool idea for my hair. He teased my hair a little to give it more volume and then he made several small braids on my left side that are closely braided to my head. He then brushes over my bangs to the right side and curled the ends lightly to give them some waves at the ends. The rest of my hair was just straightened out even more with a hair iron and left freely. The makeup artist did a really good job with my makeup! She was able to cover up all of my imperfections without using too much makeup and she really brought my features out. The only thing she did not apply was lipstick. I'll probably have to wear different colors of lipsticks later.

I was asked to wear a white tank top and a midnight blue blazer that had silver stars studded on it everywhere. The pants were midnight blue too with one leg filled with silver stars and my belt was black with a gold colored buckle that had the logo of KissxLips on it. I wanted to add a personal touch to the outfit so I asked for a choker that would match; they gave me one that had the same color as the blazer and it also had a pendant of KissxLips' logo.

*knock knock*

The door opens slightly and a woman pops her head inside.

"Eika-san, are you ready?" she asks.

"Ready and raring to go."

"Okay! Please proceed to the set you saw earlier on when you arrived. Everyone will be gathered there for the photo shoot of KissxLips. Good luck to you."

"Thanks!"

The stylist checks out my hair and makeup one last time before letting me leave the dressing room to get to the set.

* * *

You look lovely, Eika-chan." Eiichi says.

He just arrived at the set.

"Yeah, whatever—"

The moment I turned around and faced him, I was taken by surprise by how good he actually looks.

"The stylists are skilled, aren't they?

His hair was slick back and he wasn't wearing glasses; he must have been made to wear contact lenses for this photo shoot. His pants are the same as mine but the stars on his pants are on the opposite leg. His tank top is also white but his blazer has way fewer stars than mine and has a moon on the right shoulder area.

"Yeah…I've gotta admit, you're actually lookin' good."

He smiles and suddenly puts his arms around me.

"Hold on, what are you trying to pull off?!"

"Wait. Don't move suddenly; I might hurt you by accident, Eika-chan."

I feel his hands putting something on my ear.

"What are you doing?"

"When you left the dressing room, one of the staff personnel was looking for you. I asked her why and she said you forgot to put these on in the dressing room when you were getting ready. I took them with me and told her that I'd give them to you."

"Then you should have just handed them over to me. I can put them on myself."

"I know, I know, but I couldn't help myself. Hearing you compliment my looks today made me too happy, Eika-chan." He smiles.

"Could you please drop that honorific; I don't like that one." I cross my arms grumpily and patiently wait for him to finish putting on the earrings on me.

"They're quite pretty." He says as he finishes putting on the last earring. "One piece is a star and the other is a sun; two heavenly bodies that radiate in the sky."

"Don't you dare say some cheesy lines comparing me to those two things."

"How did you know?" He says playfully as he puts a section of my hair behind my ear.

"You two ready to go? Looks like you guys are getting comfy with each other already. That's good since it'll help with the poses later in the shoot." A voice says.

Eiichi and I look towards the voice and see the photographer and the manager of KissxLips approach the two of us.

"Good morning to you two. I hope you both had a heavy breakfast since we'll be working hard today." The manager says with a gentle voice and smile. "My name is Tsukiyama Yukito, current manager of KissxLips. This is Kurosawa Touya, the photographer you'll be working with today."

"Prepare yourselves. I won't be going easy on you guys." Kurosawa says enthusiastically.

We head towards the set and we find ourselves facing a blank white backdrop.

"This is going to be the background of the photo shoot but it's not yet complete. You two will have to finish the backdrop."

"What do you mean by that?" I ask.

He hands us a couple of lipsticks.

"Use those to draw on this white back drop. You two just get creative with the colors. You can draw anything and decide whatever colors to put on it; just don't get your clothes dirty or else I'll get in trouble."

"Won't it be a waste of the product?" Eiichi asks as he holds up the lipsticks.

"Nah, KissxLips prepared those just for this photo shoot so go ahead and use them as much as you can."

"Is there any theme or guideline to work with? Just writing or drawing anything is kind of hard to do on purpose." I ask.

"If this shoot would have a theme, I'd guess it's about being different, bold, and free. Your clothes are suppose to go with the advertisements' captions that say you can wear the colors any time and any day be it day or night. Well, that's what I think."

"Ah. I see."

"If you guys don't have any more questions, I'll just be over there. If you have any questions or concerns, just signal or call me."

Kurosawa leaves us and stands by a corner with Tsukiyama.

* * *

"Yuki, you think those two are going to be okay working together? Basing on the distance the girl puts between them, I'd say they're strangers to each other."

"I think they'll be okay. You don't have to worry about anything, Touya."

"If you say so. Can't I just take pictures of you instead? You're a more beautiful sight than those two put together."

"Touya, not now. We're working."

"But break time is still later and we won't be clocking out till later. I just want to go back home and spend time with you. We've been too busy these days."

"Just be patient. How about we go out for dinner then?"

"That sounds good. I'll be counting on you for that tonight, Yuki."

"Okay. You better get ready, they're about to start drawing."

"Yeah. It's going to get busy from now on till the end."

Touya sets his camera as he waits for Koemi and Eiichi to start drawing.

"By the way Yuki, I want a reward when we get home tonight."

"Hm? What would you like, Touya? If it's cake, I can order it right now."

"Sigh. I don't want cake. What I want is right in front of me."

"…So you want to have a suit like mine?"

"…"

"…Touya?"

"…I'll just tell you later, you little airhead."

"Huh? Did I guess wrong?"

"You sure did."

"Hey, there's no need to sulk. I'm sorry."

"Hmph. Your apology won't be enough later. I'll make sure to teach you that well."

"Eh?"

* * *

"So we just write anything, right?" I ask as I open one lipstick. Oh, this one is purple.

"That's what they said." Eiichi says.

I suddenly slash the white backdrop with the lipstick without hesitation. The pigment of the lipstick is great; the color pops out really well without being an eye sore. This is some good stuff. I might buy one of these for myself. What color would be nice to buy?

I open all the other lipsticks given to me and start to doodle all over the white backdrop. I drew some animals at a corner; they're cute. On another part, I drew the sun and stars since I thought about what we were wearing. Then on one side, I just used the lipsticks like paintbrushes and made colorful strokes here and there.

"You're quite artistic, Eika-chan." Eiichi says as he works on his side of the backdrop.

"There was a time in high school where I got into anime and manga a lot for a long time. I ended up learning to draw and stuff because of that."

"I'd be honored to have you draw a portrait of m—"

"Denied~"

Eiichi's shoulders drop. "You broke my heart once again, Eika-chan."

He then draws a moustache on one of the Piyo-chans that I drew moments ago.

"Hey! What did you do that for?! That's totally not cute!"

"It's payback for hurting my poor fragile heart."

"Fragile heart my butt."

I quickly draw a broken heart near the Heavens' logo that he made. After a split second of thinking, I decide to draw a small poop too.

"Wait! That's worse than what I did Not fair!" Eiichi says as he moves my hand away.

"Not fair? Says the man who defiled my Piyo-chan!"

He suddenly grabs my chin and takes an unopened lipstick. "This one is payback for Heavens then!"

He opens the lipstick and puts it on me.

"Wha?! What color was that?!" It better be a normal color!

"Hm. It was a shade of red." He says sadly.

I sigh in relief.

Thank god. I'd freak if it was pink or yellow; those are too flashy!

I take one of my unopened lipsticks and do the same to him. "This one is for giving me a mini heart attack!"

"Wait! I—"

"Too late for apologies, Eiichi!"

"What color did you put on me?!"

"The one I got was an orange one. If I had a green lipstick and used it to draw two small leaves at the side of your lips, I'd resemble an orange. Hahaha."

"You're such a mischievous woman."

"You've got no idea."

We continue to draw on the backdrop until Kurosawa suddenly approaches us and tells us to stop.

"Good job, you two. You can go now. We're done for the shoot."

"Eh? But we haven't had any pictures taken yet." Don't tell me we were just supposed to draw the whole time?!

"Nah. I was able to take tons of pictures while you two were drawing and enjoying yourselves."

He hands over his camera to Eiichi who in turn sees the previews of the pictures Kurosawa had taken.

"So this is your style. I'm quite impressed." Eiichi says as he browses thru the pictures.

"A lot of those will be put to use. Thanks for the hard work of having fun." Kurosawa says playfully.

He takes his camera back and leaves.

"That's it? We're done? Just like that, it's done?" I say as I scratch my head.

"I thought the photo shoot was going to be done…normally?" Eiichi says.

"As long as they're okay with the results and we did our job, then I guess everything is fine. Gotta clean up all this makeup now. Sigh. You better get cleaned too. I kind of drew on your face with the lipsticks. Sorry about that."

"It's okay. I drew on your face too."

"Eh?! When? What did you draw?"

"This."

He smoothly takes my chin and without a second to spare, meets my lips with his.

"Ah! I grew impatient!" He says as he suddenly pulls away from me. "I only wanted to touch them with my fingers but I ended up touching them with my own."

I push him away a little as his words just slap reality to me—the reality that he kissed me…I want to punch this guy but my whole body is tingling from the embarrassment and sense of defeat. How could I fall for that?! How could I not foresee that?! I'm losing my touch; I should probably get back to reflex training with auntie one of these days.

A faint tint of red can be seen from his cheeks as he covers his lips in a shy manner. "Eika-chan, um…"

"…What is it, you troublemaker?!"

"Will it be okay with you if we could meet outside of work? Perhaps enjoy lunch together or the like?"

"You've got some nerve asking that after what you just did." I sigh.

"I'm really sorry about that."

"I refuse."

"…My apology?"

"Both your apology and request to meet outside of work."

"But—"

"No."

"Wouldn't it be good to—"

"No."

"I'd like to get to know you be—"

"No."

"Eika-chan, I—"

"For the last time, no. I refuse!"

"But I really want to know you better, Eika-chan; you've taken my interest for quite some time."

"I don't want to, Eiichi."

"I wouldn't mind starting out or even just reaching you as a friend! Would you please let me try?" he pleads as he grabs my hand.

"…"

"Please?"

"I already told you! I—"

"Please!" he pleads one last time. "Even if friendship is all you have to offer for me, I'd be happy."

"Grrrrrr…"

He sets his eyes on mine and doesn't look a centimetre away; he just looks at me with a face filled with determination,

"Hnghhhhh…GRRRRRRR…FINE!"

I snatch my hand away from him.

"I'll let you hang out with me but I'm gonna set some rules! I'll think about the rules first and then tell you about them when I'm done making them!"

"Thank you!" He suddenly hugs me in joy.

"Let go of me or else I'm gonna take back my decision!"

He immediately lets me go and then pats my head.

"I'll be waiting for you to contact me, Eika-chan. I'll be waiting happily."

"Alright already. I'll message you whenever; I still have your number from the exchange during the KissxLips briefing."

"Okay!"

"But Eiichi."

"Yes?"

"I'm going to tell you this here and now. I have nothing to offer except friendship and I can be complicated at times to the point that I'm almost incomprehensible."

"I don't mind. If I can get closer to you, if I can learn more about you, then I'll be content."

"Those are your words. If you get hurt or rejected countless of times, it won't be my fault and don't say I didn't warn you. You got that?"

"Loud and clear, Eika-chan."

"You won't stop that, will you?"

"It's pretty cute."

"Cute my butt."

"I do think you have a cute butt."

"Pervert!" I hit Eiichi's head.

"Ow! You're quite strong!"

"Hell I am!"

"Eika." A strict voice says.

"Yes, Madoka-sama!" I turn around.

"There you are. You still haven't changed back? Go on and change back to your original clothes and get that makeup off. We'll be eating at the old couple's café instead of the conveyor belt sushi."

"We're going to eat there?! I'll go change right away!"

"Wait, Eika-chan—"

"You." Madoka says sternly to Eiichi. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing. I have no malicious intentions, Rukawa-san. She simply caught my attention."

"Eiichi, you know very well that I'm not the type of person that one would lie to or would make a fool of so you better not be up to something."

"I honestly do not have any other motives. I know very well that you are someone who's not good to have as an enemy. When you were under Raging Entertainment before, you were a force to be wary of and I still think you are still that kind of person."

"I also hope that this isn't one of your father's moves."

"My father has nothing to do with this; I am acting on my own free will."

"Sigh. Just don't step past the line or else." I won't let Raging Otori do anything to Koemi's career.


	9. Chapter 8: Interview

**CHAPTER 8: Interview**

"Welcome everyone to another episode of UtaOn! The one channel you need to be updated in the latest news and tunes of today's music world! It's me again, your music buddy every afternoon, Shiina Miya!"

The audience in the studio applause on que as the show MC proceeds to go to the center of the set.

"Good afternoon, everyone! How are you all today? Recently, we've received so many letters and comments on our website to have a certain someone be our guest for the show! Well guess what? Your requests have been fulfilled!"

The huge screen at the back of the set starts to play some clips from my music videos.

"Recruited from Shining Agency's recent music festival by Shining Saotome himself, she debuted a few months ago but has consistently been slaying the music charts—one ranking after the other. Here and there, her powerful and moving music has been playing around all over Japan. Not only has her voice been filling the air, she has started appearing in several shows and advertisements here and there. Many youngsters have fallen hard for her music but surprisingly she has been appealing to the older folks as well. Ladies and gentlemen, let's give it up for Shining Agency's new rising star, Eika!"

I take a deep breath and enter the set with Madoka following behind me. The audience seems really happy as I smile and wave at them. Miya-san greets Madoka and I before we sit down on the leather couch in the middle while she sits on another leather seat meant for only one person.

"Welcome to the show, Eika! It's nice to have you here too, Rukawa-san."

"It's great to be here with everyone." I say as I acknowledge the audience. "I hope you're all happy to be with me too. Hehe."

"Of course they all are! They requested for you specifically!" Miya-san says.

"Haha! Yeah, I was told about that; I'm flattered by you all out there! I'll do my best to entertain you guys today and to answer all your questions as long as Madoka here doesn't stop me."

"You better be on your best behavior, Eika or so help me." Madoka says.

"Awww please go easy on me, my dear manager." I say playfully.

"Of course I won't."

The audience laugh at our exchange of words.

"My, my, you two make quite a duo! Rukawa-san, how has it been for you so far as Eika's managaer?"

"Quite tiring in all honesty; the offers that keep flooding to my desk plus looking after this troublesome girl and her cat are not easy to balance."

"Hehe so Eika is a troublesome person?"

"Yes! She would not listen to me at times and then sometimes she forgets to read the contracts or offers carefully and ends up taking jobs that sometimes collide in schedule! Then when we're at home, she would be working non-stop, playing and sleeping with her cat, or she would suddenly disappear for a while without notice. I feel like I'm getting older by the second because of this girl here."

"Haha. You have a tiring duty, no? We salute you, Rukawa-san!"

"Why thank you, Shiina-san."

"Wait, it makes it sound like I'm such a baggage in your life, Madoka!"

"Well, you are."

"Noooo. Don't be mean to meee. You're the best manager ever. I love youuuu."

"Then it's an unrequited love."

The audience laughs.

Miya-san takes out some papers. "Eika, here we have a copy of the questions that people want to ask you about or to learn about you. Are you ready?"

"I sure am."

"Okay! Eika, you don't use your real name for work, right? Where did your stage name come from?"

"Yes, I've been using my stage name since way back when I was doing gigs in m younger days."

"You make it sound like you're so old." Madoka says.

The audience laughs as I playfully hit Madoka's shoulder in frustration.

"Anyway! Eika is a combination of my parents' names. 'Ei' comes from my mother's name which is Eiko while the 'ka' comes from my father's name which is Hotaka."

"What an interesting way of creating your stage name! Eika means poetry, doesn't it?"

"Yes, that's right. I think it suits the part of me that writes my own lyrics."

"I think music is also a form of poetry. You write both the melodies of your songs and the lyrics, right? Your name definitely suits those traits. Eika, when were you born?"

"I was born on April 21."

"Oh, your birthday has passed already. It's too bad we don't get to celebrate it!"

"Haha, it's okay. I was busy with work anyway."

Madoka fixes her glasses. "She was so busy that she forgot it was her birthday; none of the staff personnel knew it was her birthday so no one greeted her. She only remembered that that day was her birthday when we got back home and so she asked for pudding and then just slept right after eating five of them with the cat lying down on her face."

The audience laugh in surprise.

"You forgot your own birthday?! That's quite unusual! So you currently live with your cat and with your manager, Eika?"

"That's right! I live with the two of them at an apartment. The apartment is not so big; it's just exact for the two of us and the cat."

"I see! How long have you been living at your apartment?"

"I've been living there for a long while with my cat. My manager started living with me right after getting into Shining Agency because I live kind of far from the agency."

"Your fans are wondering about what your likes and dislikes are."

"To start off, I really like ice cream! I eat them even when it's raining or if the weather is cold!"

"Even during winter?"

"That's right! I'm also fond of animal crackers and bread. Believe it or not, I also like to read a lot."

"What kinds of books do you read?"

"I don't have any preferences. I just read whatever I find and catch my interest."

"I see."

"Hmm, next would be my dislikes right? I don't like soda; as much as possible, I don't drink it and choose juice or tea instead. Top of my dislike list though would be swimming! I hate swimming…"

"You don't like swimming? Could it be?!"

"Yup, I can't swim."

"So does that mean you don't go to the beach?"

"I do go to beaches but it's to enjoy the view, the sand, and the barbeque. I don't really go to the water except the shallow part haha."

"Do you engage in any sports?"

"Well, obviously not swimming."

The audience laugh.

"I play tennis and I run. I've got a lot of stamina and I feel like those two sports make me last longer and keep my whole body active."

"One of your fans has pointed out that you've got a lot of black clothing. Is black your favorite color?"

"Actually, my favorite color is green. I just have a lot of black clothing because it's the 'in' color aside from red and gray in the rock biz, right? Also, it's easier to look clean and do laundry."

"Quite a jolly and relaxing color you love there. Is there a reason why you like the color green?"

"I like how it symbolizes hope and new beginnings. Isn't that wonderful?"

"That kind of makes you sound like a romantic, Eika." Miya-san laughs a little.

"Oh well I dunno about that haha. I'm definitely not an expert in that."

"You mainly play the guitar. How long have you been playing the guitar?"

"I learned how to play the guitar when I was in grade school so I've been playing it for a really long time but I also know how to play other instruments besides the guitar."

"Interesting! Such as?"

"Let's see…The bass, drums, keyboard, and trumpet."

"Wow! That's pretty impressive! I can't even play a single instrument so this really amazes me! What made you learn so many instruments?"

"I had some interest in them so I tried them out. In my high school, I had friends from the band club so I asked them to teach me whenever they were free. We would use the instruments available in school. Learning those instruments actually came in handy for my gigs. When I couldn't find band mates to perform with me or when I couldn't get recruits, I would pre-record the parts for drums, bass, or guitar, and then perform live with one instrument while singing. I became a one man band in desperate times hehe."

"Amazing. You've been performing solo most of the time?"

"Yeah, kind of."

"As you know, not only do we have some viewers here in the studio and viewers who watch us thru the television, we also have viewers online. We got a couple of questions from the online viewers. The first one is: Would you ever consider a career in acting?"

"I definitely don't! Haha! I absolutely got no experience or talent for acting unless I can get paid for the role of a house plant! I'd definitely be perfect for the role of a house plant!"

The audience laugh at my comment.

"Next, what do you think about fame?"

"Fame can be both a blessing and a curse."

"Oh, what makes you say that?"

"Well, I'm able to earn more compared to before and I get to work with lots of people who are amazing and all but in exchange, I can't go out as muh as I want to compared to before because people now know me more as a celebrity so for personal and safety reasons, I can't just go out whenever; it also means that I can't hang out with my friends or family much either. I also used to have more free time but now I'm mostly doing work. I like having lots of work and I'm thankful for it but of course I can't just rest whenever and sometimes work can be really hard too."

"That is true. I totally agree with you, Eika. Being in the entertainment industry can get into one's personal life's way, no?"

"Yeah, it sure can.

"Are you into cats only?"

"Not really. I like all animals."

"Have you had any romantic relationships before?"

"I've dated two men in the past during high school but I'm currently single."

"What is your view on love?"

"Love is like gambling. You play without knowing the definite outcome and you rely on your actions and luck. You can win and you can lose; you just have to play with all you've got and strive to win the jackpot. If you lose, then there's always next time so you shouldn't be disheartened but there are also times when you've played too much and would need to rest. Sometimes you have to rest and then try again until you get that jackpot with your own two hands."

The audience becomes amazed at my comment. I feel a little embarrassed inside but that's what I really think.

"You are full of interesting thoughts, Eika. Now we're on our last question."

"It better not be a weird question like asking me if I'm a S or M. Don't be like that, my dear fans!"

The audience and Miya-san laughs.

"But if you're really curious about it, for your information, I'm more of an S."

The audience and Miya-san laughs even more.

"Do you currently have your eyes set on someone at the moment?"

"...No, I don't. I don't think so."

"Thank you very much for your time and for answering our questions, Eika! It was fun talking with you."

"Thank you as well, Miya-san. Thank you everyone for having me here today!"

The audience applause.

"We'll be right back after the break. Eika will be performing one of her songs for us called 'Recalled Farewell' before she says goodbye and our next guest will be a cute sweetheart from the girl group…"

* * *

"Whatcha watching there, guys?" Reiji asks as he approaches Ai, Camus, and Ranmaru sitting on his sofa in his apartment.

"UtaOn." Ai says.

"There was nothing else worth watching on television so we chose this channel for this show." Camus says as he drinks his tea.

"Well, better than nothin'." Ranmaru puts his feet on the center table.

"What's today's episode about this time, Ai-Ai?" Reiji asks as he sits between Ai and Ranmaru.

"They have two guests for today's episode. I believe one of the guests is Eika and the other is a member of a certain girl group."

"Eika? Isn't that the woman that Saotome recruited? She's been doing pretty well for the past months according to the people in the agency." Camus says.

"That is true. I've heard that her progress as an idol has been very good, rising constantly in rankings." Ai says as he eats a spoonful of flan.

"Hey! That flan's mine!" Ranmaru says angrily at Ai who is unaffected by his raised voice.

"Oh. I thought it was for me." Ai says as he eats another spoonful.

"Quit eatin'it!" Ranmaru says back in dismay.

"Now, now, Ran-chan, just let Ai-Ai have it. He started eating it anyway." Reiji says.

"But that was—" Ranmaru stops talking and just sighs in defeat.

"I'll ask Kaori to make a flan for you next time to make up for this one. I'm sure it will taste better than this store bought flan." Ai says as he eats another spoonful of flan while looking at Ranmaru.

"Tch. Just drop it already. No need to bother her for that; I'll just eat something else later."

Reiji looks attentively on the television as the show introduces its first guest. The three of them watch the show quietly.

* * *

"Welcome back to UtaOn! Before Eika says goodbye, she'll be performing one of her latest songs. Eika, this song is noticeably different from your previous songs."

"It sure is. It's the first song I've released that isn't really rock, right? It's more like an acoustic or bossa nova type of song. I just wrote up that song after hearing an old song in a store and since it came out well and I was lacking one more song for the single I was working on at that time, I thought of throwing it in there."

"What were the thoughts running in your head when you were writing this song?"

"Aside from the influence of the song I was listening to in the store I was in, the words just came flooding out to be honest. I guess I can say that the words came out from my heart? Does that make sense? I'm not even sure if I still have a heart."

"Hahaha, how cute. Anyway, I won't hold you any longer Eika. You can go on ahead and take the stage."

"Alright then."

I pick up the guitar that was provided for me and took a deep breath before plucking the guitar to start the song.

 ** _Every day, you were always there_**

 ** _Giving life, to all the things I see with you_**

 ** _All the time, you were by my side_**

 ** _Kissing me, with such a smile on your face_**

 ** _Hugging me, warming up my lonely cold days_**

 ** _You showered me with love_**

 ** _I do recall (recall)_**

 ** _Just how painful it was to see you smile_**

 ** _When I knew I wasn't by your side_**

 ** _That ended everything_**

 ** _(Ohhh)_**

 ** _I was so small (so small)_**

 ** _Invisible to the naked eye_**

 ** _But loud and clear when I said goodbye_**

 ** _Clear as night and day_**

 ** _Clear as night and day_**

 ** _Clear as night and day_**

 ** _Probably, the world would spin without_**

 ** _You and me, but my world was wiped out so clean_**

 ** _Because you're not here_**

 ** _Dancing red, could I ever forget_**

 ** _The way it asked for you to take its hand_**

 ** _And leave me, unharmed and unkempt_**

 ** _(Oh why)_**

 ** _I closed my eyes (my eyes)_**

 ** _When I opened them, you disappeared_**

 ** _Never again did you reappear_**

 ** _Take the past away_**

 ** _Tear my heart away_**

 ** _Fade my life away_**

* * *

"Oh! So this is Eika-chan! She seems like an interesting and cute girl!" he says enthusiastically.

"Whatever." Ranmaru says in an irritated tone.

"She seems to be enthusiastic." Ai comments.

"Quite the humor and charm she has as well. It was quite enjoyable to watch the way she handled the interview." Camus says in interest.

"Hmph." Ranmaru sulks.

"What's wrong, Ran-Ran? You seem grumpier all of a sudden."

"The monkey is just jealous of the qualities he lacks found in this woman we're watching." Camus says as he drinks his tea.

"What did you say?! You insulting me again?! I haven't forgiven you for taking my bananas the other day, ya thief! You totally insulted my bananas because of what you did to 'em!"

"Nonsense. Those bananas were more worthy of my manner of consumption than yours."

"Ya don't eat bananas that way! You totally ruined 'em! The bananas didn't deserve the way you treated 'em! BANANAS ARE PERFECT!"

"Tone your voice down, peasant."

"You wanna fight, Count Ice-cula?!"

"Was that your best insult? Even a child would have done better."

"Grghhh! Get your ass over here!"

Ranmaru raises his voice louder and stands up, ready to jump on Camus.

"Even your presence is not worthy of my behind." Camus replies calmly.

"Well your face is definitely worthy to kiss my fist and taste my mighty kick!"

"As if you can touch me."

"I'm gonna tear you apart, you hear me Count Ass-cula?!"

Ai and Reiji snicker at Ranmaru's undeniably lame puns.

"WHAT'RE YA TWO LAUGHING AT?!" Ranmaru says with a fist in the air.

"Obviously they are laughing at you." Camus says.

Reiji gets in between Ranmaru and Camus. "R-Ran-Ran! W-Wait! Calm down! Myu-chan is just joking! Hehe…Isn't that right, Myu-chan?"

"…I've ran out of flan." Ai comments as he looks at his empty clean plate.

"Ai-Ai! W-Where are you going?" Reiji asks as he continues to stay between Ranmaru and Camus.

"I'm going to the convenience store for a moment to buy another flan. Would you like anything?"

"N-No but could you help me cool these two down first before you go?"

"I can't."

"W-What?! Why?! Why not?!"

"The sale for the flan will end in eighteen minutes. I can't let the opportunity slip past me."

"Wait! Ai-Ai! Don't go! I need—!"

Ai leaves and shuts the door before Reiji could even finish what he was going to say.

"Noooo! Come back, Ai-Ai!"

"You asked for it!" Ranmaru shouts at Camus.

"What do you commoners say in situations like this? 'Bring it on' was it?" Camus says.

"WHA! AI-AI! ANYONE! HELP ME!" Reiji shouts as Ranmaru and Camus start their first round.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO! STOOOOOOOPPPPP!"

* * *

That day,

the ratings of UtaOn were higher than usual.

Eika and Madoka were able to eat some delicious udon at a traditional udon shop at a corner of an alley that was operated by an old man before going home.

Ai was able to buy lots of flan from the sale at the nearby convenience store and was able to meet a wonderful corgi on his way back to Reiji's apartment; an old man was walking his corgi for some exercise. He and the corgi became friends to his delight and had a satisfactory parting. He took a picture of the corgi to show to Kaori when he gets back home.

And

Reiji realized that his life may be cut short if Ranmaru and Camus would continue to show their heated "affection" to one another. That night, he became the most religious person in the world as he prayed for eternal peace between his two precious friends while lying on the usual bed that he ends up using at a clinic that he always gets sent to when injured from Ranmaru and Camus' arguments. He also expressed his gratitude in his prayers for the coupon the doctor gave him that allows him to avail for a twenty percent discount for his next visit to the clinic.

Meanwhile, Nao is at home leisurely enjoying Madoka's bed and thinking about how he will pick on Madoka once she and Koemi returns home. He also decided that he'll be sleeping on top of Koemi's face at bed time and that he won't eat dinner if it's canned tuna again. He wants chicken.

But the most notable event of the day is the declaration of Ranmaru's love for bananas.

* * *

 **Author's Note: For the song in this chapter, Recalled Farewell, it** **takes its melody after "All My Life" by America.**

 **Hello there~ Urgh. I haven't been able to write much because of school huhu. Please bear with my late updates if you wish to continue following this story! Sorries and Thankies! But I promise that this story will have an ending and won't be left hanging~ Thank you for reading and thank you for the support! Stay safe and healthy always~**


	10. Chapter 9: Fighter

**CHAPTER 9: Fighter**

"Koemi, are you busy?"

"Hm? I'm kind of busy."

"…" Madoka stares at me with a blank face.

I'm sitting upside down on the floor with Nao doing the same beside me as I play a video game.

Madoka intensely stares at me enough to send a feeling of a dark vibe shooting straight into my head.

I pause the game and sit upright. "I am free to be of use to you, your majesty!" I salute to her and Nao meows as he tries to sit upright but he struggles a little as his chubby stomach prevents him from moving correctly.

"I have a lot of papers to review and to write for the agency so I can't go to the supermarket. Can you buy these in my place?" She hands me a grocery list.

"Oh sure, this is a piece of cake. I can handle this."

"Thanks. I'll cook lunch and dinner today as compensation. Can you carry all those back here?"

"Yeah, I can carry these back home. If they're too heavy, I can always take a taxi."

"Okay. Take care on the way to the supermarket and back; make sure you don't stand out too much and don't get into trouble."

"Yes ma'am!"

*meow*

"Yes, yes, I'll get you some food." I rub Nao's chubby tummy.

I get changed and head for the door.

"See ya later, Nao. Watch over Madoka for me."

"I think you have it the other way around." Madoka says while leaning by the wall near the door.

I crouch down to Nao and whisper, "Make sure she doesn't eat my chocolates in the fridge."

*meow*

I pat Nao's head and leave the apartment.

* * *

Hmm.

I look at the list that Madoka gave me. The only things that are kind of heavy are the canned goods and frozen meats. I'll probably buy some fruits since we're kind of running out of them at home.

I can buy these stuff a little later. The way to the supermarket is the same way going to Yasuko's house. I'll take a little detour there to say hello; I haven't visited them for a while. They'll definitely be surprised to see me!

I walk down a long straight road that always seemed endless even back in the day. The trees that stand tall on each side of the road are beautiful as ever; they've grown so wonderfully well that their leaves are so green and broad. The neighborhood is so quiet that you feel like no one is around or that perhaps everyone is asleep in their homes. Time always seems to flow slowly here in this neighborhood, giving you the illusion that things could stay the same for a long time but we all know that change is inevitable. The only thing that differs is the rate of change in each person's life. A perfect example is the change in the people that end up surrounding you and staying in your life or how your interests change its shape over time. Change is good but I think not all changes are good. Isn't that right, Yasuko?

Ah, there it is. The house with a green roof and iris flowers planted at the front of the house—Yasuko's house.

I ring the doorbell twice and the door opens.

"Good morning!" I say cheerfully.

"Oh my! Emi-chan!"

"It's been a while, Sumiko-san. How are you and Nobuo-san?"

"Nobuo is at the back, tending the flowers. Come in! Come in! Are you busy? Won't you stay for a while?"

"I have some time to spare today. I can stay a little longer."

I enter the house and the first thing I see is the familiar living room where I used to hang out with Yasuko. Hanging on one wall, I can see the picture we took back in high school during the school festival and another photo was hanging close to it that had both Yasuko's and my family posing for the camera; that was when our families went out of town together during a long weekend. Such great memories capture in framed glossy paper.

Sumiko-san brings over some tea and snacks to the living room and sits down with me.

"Nobuo will join us after a while; he's just finishing up a few more flowers."

"That's okay. I'm pretty sure with all the tender loving care he's putting into the flowers, all of them are blooming very happily."

"That is true. The flowers have multiplied lately and our garden is starting to look like a botanical garden!"

"I'll look at them before I leave."

"I'm sure Nobuo would love to hear your praise. Did you know, the flowers that you and Yasuko planted together are still alive and doing well?"

"Really?! I will definitely take a look at them! I'll take a picture too for keepsake."

"Emi-chan, I know Nobuo and I have said this many times but thank you very much for helping us back then and for looking after us until now. We are truly grateful to you."

"It is nothing! It's my way of paying back your kindness towards me especially when my parents died back then; I'm truly thankful as well that you took time and effort to take care of me."

"You are like our second child, Emi. Yasuko and you are both precious to us."

"The same goes with me. You and Nobuo-san are like my second parents."

"So Emi-chan, how is work nowadays?"

"Tiring but fun. My work load keeps increasing but I'm still able to balance them all thanks to my manager."

"Don't push yourself too hard, okay? Remember to rest from time to time! All work and no play will kill you."

"I will; I won't let myself die easily!"

"That's the spirit! Yasuko would have beat your spirit up if she suddenly met you up there!"

"Ho, ho, why look who's here. Little Emi-chan!"

"Nice to see you all cheerful, Nobuo-san."

"The flowers have been doing very well so I'm very happy about that. I'll show them to you before you leave."

"Okay! Let's all take pictures together too later before I leave."

Sumiko-san and Nobuo-san start to tell me about things that have happened over the past few days. My favorite stories so far is the one about Nobuo-san forgetting to pay for a pack of yogurt in the supermarket and almost getting arrested for it and Sumiko-san's story about a cute dog that has been visiting their home lately. I want to see the dog hehe. I hope it passes by before I leave.

"It's great to know that you two have been doing very well lately but I want to know if _they_ have been visiting again."

"They?"

"You two know what I'm talking about. Have the yakuza been visiting you two lately?"

"Emi-chan, dear, what's with this question all of a sudden?"

"Sumiko-san, we already paid back all the money you and Nobuo-san borrowed from the yakuza in order to pay Yasuko's hospital bills; we paid it all including the interest so that means you two no longer have a debt from them but I know how that group acts. Are they still coming here to get money out from you two?"

Sumiko-san and Nobuo-san look at each other with hints of worry.

"Sumi, I think we should tell Emi-chan."

"But Nobuo—!"

Nobuo-san holds Sumiko-san's hand and looks at me. "Two months ago, one of the members of the yakuza came to our house saying that we still have a balance with them; they said that we didn't pay all of the interest and that there was a mistake in the calculation of the bill. We told them that could not be and that we won't give them a single yen. They peacefully went away and didn't come back for two months so we thought it was nothing but ever since this month started, they've been coming back, taunting us to give them some money."

"Just like before, we tell them that we don't have a balance with them anymore and that we won't give them any money at all. They still left peacefully each time until they started becoming aggressive all of a sudden." Sumiko-san hugs Nobuo-san's arm.

My expression becomes angry. "Have they hurt any of you?"

Nobuo-san pulls up his sleeve and reveals a bluish purple bruise on his arm.

"That looks fresh. When did it happen? When did they last come over?!"

"…Four days ago."

"Why didn't you guys tell me about this?! Why?!"

"We didn't want to bother you or get you into trouble, Emi-chan." Sumiko-san says.

"That's—"

*ding dong*

The doorbell suddenly rings and we all froze. Something just doesn't feel right.

"Nobuo-san, just like back then, do you still remember the drill?"

"Yes, I remember."

Nobuo-san stands up immediately and locks all the doors and windows; he even closes the curtains.

I stand up and observe the surroundings of the house.

"Sumiko-san, the bamboo swords I had back then, are they still kept in the same places as before?"

"The ones here on the first floor are still in the same places as before but the ones in the second floor are different now."

"That's okay. I won't let them get to the second floor."

*ding dong*

The doorbell rings again. I nod at Nobuo-san to let him know that he can answer the door now. As he prepares to open the front door, I hide beside the door.

He opens the door and as we thought, the unwanted visitors came.

"Good morning, old man. How have ya been doin'? The flowers look well." The yakuza says as he picks a petal from the flower outside the front door.

"Look, we've said it many times before, we don't owe you any money anymore."

"Old man, is that how you treat us after coming all the way here? Won't you let us inside and talk about it over some hot coffee or tea?"

Nobuo-san sweats in nervousness. "N-No."

"Eh? What did you say?"

"I said, no. Please leave and have a good day."

Nobuo-san closes the door but the yakuza grabs hold of it before it closes.

"Now listen here, old man!" He pushed the door back open. "Was last time's hit too soft for you to get what kind of situation you and your wife are in?! You need another hit that's more powerful to knock some sense into ya?!"

The yakuza's foot reaches inside the house and the moment Nobuo-san raised his arms to protect himself, I knew that the yakuza thug was about to hit him.

"Damn you, old ma—!"

I suddenly raise my leg and swing it towards the yakuza thug's stomach.

"What the fu—ACK!"

It sends him flying backwards and hits the ground. His fellow thugs surround him, asking if he was okay.

I step out of the house and take out a bamboo sword hidden inside one of the tall flower vases.

"I remember clearly working my ass off back in high school just to make some money to help them pay their debts from you scums and I remember clearly that we paid them all off, including the interest. What are you pieces of crap doing here this time?"

I stand tall and firmly on front of the house, looking down at the thug I sent to the ground.

"You—! What the hell are you doin' back here?!" one of the thugs says in surprise.

"Why'd you come back?! You're supposed to be gone!" the other thug says.

"You guys make it sound like I up and died or something. Sigh." I scratch my head.

The thug that's on the ground recovers and stands up. "You little bitch. Stay out of our business!" He wipes his mouth. "The old couple here owes us money and we're here just doing our job to collect the money."

"Like I said, their slate is clean. They don't owe you creeps anything. I know how your group works; you guys go back to your old clients claiming that there was a miscalculation in the interest computation, making up numbers to make it look like they still owe you something."

"Shuddup!"

"What? It's the truth. I should know because I was already in auntie's group when she kicked your group's butt when you guys were victimizing the people in her neighborhood."

The thug gets annoyed and swings his fist towards me. I evade it easily and yell at Nobuo-san, "Lock the door and get upstairs! Barricade your room and don't go out till I say so! Go!"

Nobuo-san immediately closes the front door and locks it.

I hit back on the thug who was aiming at me with his fist; I swing the bamboo sword down onto his shoulder and as he gets down on one knee in pain, I kick his head from the side causing him to lose consciousness as he hits the ground with his face first.

"She hurt big brother! Get that damn woman's head and make her regret for hurting our big brother and for going against us! Take her down!"

I raise my bamboo sword once more as the thugs start coming at me one after the other.

At first, I couldn't attack them because right after evading one of them, the others come out of nowhere and take a shot at me.

"You stupid kid! Keep your nose out of—ACK!"

"This is bull! There's nothing a girl like you can do against us all—AHHH!"

"ARGH! AH! ACK! S-STO—AHHHH!"

"What's wrong with all of you, idiots?! She's just one stupid girl for god's sake! You're all losing to her like this?!"

One of the thugs who wears a pair of sunglasses approaches him and whispers, "Brother, this chick ain't any ordinary chick. She's the granddaughter of that all-girl gang that beat the crap outta our group years ago."

"Wait, you tellin' me that the kid back then was—?!"

The sunglasses thug nods. "When our group was half beaten and our reinforcements came, the all-girl groups' leader pulled back all of her members and then sent forward a small kid, remember? That's her right now!"

"So she's—!"

"She's the infamous 'One-man Army'!"

"No, shit?! This is bad then! We're in deep shit!"

The thugs continue to come at me one after the other and I continue to strike them down one by one. It's been an hour now and only a few of them are left standing. This will end soon without a doubt. I hope that—

*vroom vroom vroom*

A couple of motorcycles suddenly arrive and as my guts were telling me, they called for reinforcements. There doesn't seem to be too many of them; I think I can still take them on!

I continue to strike at them with my bamboo sword one after the other. I'm fortunate enough to keep my strength up and that I'm able to hit their vital muscle points so that they'd stay down once I hit them; they won't be able to get back up because they're either paralyzed or unconscious.

*CRACK*

Everyone suddenly stops moving after hearing a loud crack.

The thugs begin to smile as they look at each other; their confidence has returned.

"Crap…" I whispered to myself.

What a bad timing for my bamboo sword to break. You gotta be kidding me! Sigh. Alright, calm down Koemi. You just have to get to the other spots around here where the other bamboo swords are hidden.

I quickly run over to a corner of the front yard while evading all the thugs that come after me. Once I reached the tall bush where the sword should be in, I froze for a second after reaching into the bush…there's no sword!

"You've got to be kidding me?! Don't tell me they removed the ones out here?!" I'm in deep trouble!

"Gotcha, you bitch! Happy new year!"

"What?!"

One of the thugs suddenly appears behind me with a metal pipe. He raises the metal pipe in the air, ready for a mighty swing down towards me. I raise my arms and cover my head and face; my eyes shut close as a reflex to the incoming attack.

"Take this, you little shit!"

"ARGH!" I think my right arm got hit badly! Damn it!

I fall backwards to the ground on my back due to the impact. The moment I open my eyes, I see the thug holding the metal pipe up in the air again; he's ready for another heavy swing! He swings down the metal pipe and I quickly roll to my left side. I get on my feet and send a roundhouse kick right to his back.

"AHHHRRRGH!"

As he cries in pain, I twist his right arm and take the metal pipe from him.

"Take this, you sick fucker!" I swing the metal pipe at his legs with all my might and it causes him to fall down to the ground.

He tries to get up but his legs refuse to move for him.

"Serves you right. I hope you won't be able to walk for the rest of your life." I say to him as he looks up at me with fearful eyes. I strike at his legs again and he shouts in pain. "You won't need your legs anymore anyway, right? After all, scum like you belong to the ground."

*BANG*

"They're upstairs! Get those two old farts!" the leader of the thugs shout.

Several of the other thugs start rushing into the house.

Crap! They took down the front door! I'm not gonna let them lay a finger on Sumiko-san and Nobuo-san! I won't let them!

The thug I took down who is uselessly lying on the floor starts to tremble uncontrollably as he sees me growl like an angry wolf as I rush towards the house.

"Those filthy men…are inside Yasuko's house! Grrrrr….!"

I hold the metal pipe sideways and run towards the leader who is standing beside the door.

"GO TO HELL!" I heavily swing towards the left side of his body.

The moment he fell down, I ran into the house and swung at each thug that got in my way.

"Bro, behind you—ACK!"

"What the hell?! She's moving so fast! Where is sh—ARGHHHH!"

"AHHH! Have mercy—ARCK!"

After taking down the thugs near the staircase, I stand on front of the staircase and held my ground.

I point the metal pipe at them and shout, "TAKE ONE STEP CLOSER AND I'LL CRUSH THOSE BONES IN YOUR BODIES TO DUST! C'MON, BITE IF YOU DARE!"

Suddenly, it becomes noisy outside. The thugs inside the house suddenly smile at each other.

"You're done for, kid. The cavalry has arrived!" one of the thugs says.

The thug wearing sunglasses takes a step forward towards me. "The cavalry is around two times bigger than the big group we brought over at first. You won't stand a chance." He smirks.

I swing the metal pipe and hit the wall beside me. That portion of the wall crumbles and a hole grows. A creepy but playful smile appears on my face. With a calm and confident voice, I say, "Come and get me."

"This is suicide." The thug with sunglasses says.

I don't reply as I stay in a protective stance. All they could get outta me is my confident smile.

"Boys, you know what to do with this skunk. Bring her head down to the ground and we'll have some fun with her hahahahaha!"

The thug with sunglasses raises is arm and then points at me. In an instant, all of his men, including the cavalry, charge at me at full force.

I probably will have a few injuries here and there; Madoka is going to lecture me when she sees my injuries. I just have to avoid getting hit on the face, right? I can hide any injuries elsewhere.

They came from everywhere! No matter where I turned or where I looked, a thug would always be there ready to take me down. If I were to slow down by a little or to take one second away to rest, for sure I'd get a hard hit down my head.

"Why won't you stay still, darn woman?!"

"I'd get hit, silly idiot." I say as I dodge his attack and hit him from behind.

"Brothers, she's starting to slow down! Little girl is getting tired hahahaha! We'll get her in no time!"

They start to come at me harder and faster. This isn't good. If I run out of energy, I'm going to lose to them! Auntie is gonna be upset if she finds out I'm losing shape like this. What more if I lost to these losers? Sigh. Well, at least they don't have guns; that would make things harder.

"Big brother! There's a police unit heading this way according to one of our brothers stationed downtown!"

"What?! Grrrrr the old geezers upstairs must have contacted the police!"

The police are coming? I better wrap this up before they arrive. I can't afford to be mentioned in the police report or to appear in the media because of this; I'd get in trouble with not just Madoka but also with the agency!

"ARGHHH!" I attack them harder and faster. They all start to fall one by one. I can clearly see that their numbers are decreasing. Part of it is probably because most of them are already on the floor unconscious but I know that some of them have run away.

The sound of sirens can be heard from a far.

"Crap! The cops are already nearby! What do we do, big brother?"

"Everyone, fall back! We have more to lose stayin' here! Go!"

The thugs start to run out of the house. I chase after them and knock several of them down. I'm not gonna let all of them escape; I'll make sure some of them will get caught!

"TAKE THIS, YOU BASTARDS!"

"Shit! She's still at it! She's taking down our brothers! What do we do, big brother?"

"Grrr. I want to get back at that woman and get our brothers but we don't have time! We must go!"

The thugs decrease in number rapidly and the next thing I knew, they were gone and the neighborhood became quiet once more as if nothing happened. Makes me wonder why the neighbors didn't react or call authorities. What is this? A ghost district? Sigh, sometimes people just forget to help when it's necessary. Sigh.

The sound of the police sirens have become louder; my estimate is that they're somewhere in the main intersection.

I throw the metal pipe to the side of the front lawn; it hits a thug on the head and he groans.

"The hell is wrong with you all?! I was just supposed to go visit the old couple and go to the grocery!"

I make way into the house and up the stairs to the old couple's room.

*knock knock*

"They're gone, you two can come out now! It's safe! I'm sorry but the house is kinda a big mess and I made a hole on the wall! I'll help fix it during the weekend and I'll pay for the damages!"

Sumiko-san and Nobuo-san open their bedroom door and I greet them with a smile.

"E-Emi! You look terrible!" Sumiko-san says at the moment her eyes saw me.

"Really? At least my face is still—"

"Emi!" Sumiko-san and Nobuo-san shout as they catch me before I hit the ground.

"Sumiko-san, Nobuo-san, could you order these thru the phone from the grocery store and have them deliver the stuff to my apartment? I've been out for a long while yet I haven't bought these things; my manager will kill me hehe."

My arm drops and the grocery list slides off my hand and falls to the floor.

"Emi! You have more important things to tend to like your wounds!" Nobuo-san says.

"I know but my manager is scarier than those yakuza thugs. Trust me." I laugh a little.

"Sigh. Nobuo dear, please go and do what Emi asked for. I'll go get the medical kit and tend to her wounds." Sumiko-san picks up the grocery list and gives it to Nobuo-san.

Suddenly, the sound of the police sirens become really loud and the voices of policemen can be heard.

"The police have finally arrived!" Nobuo-san says in sarcasm. "They could have arrived earlier. Hmph."

"Nobuo-san, Sumiko-san, please hide me away. You two know why."

Nobuo-san nods. "Yes, I won't mention anything about you to them. Leave it to me, Emi-chan."

He goes on ahead towards the first floor to attend to the police officers who are probably rounding up the yakuzas at the front lawn and in the first floor of the house. Sumiko-san brings me into their bedroom and lays me on their bed; she takes the medical kit in their cabinet and treats my wounds.

"Emi-chan, thank you for helping us."

"It was nothing , Sumiko-san. It was a piece of cake."

"Hehe. Says the girl who got so many injuries!"

"Ouch! Don't press too hard!"

"Maybe…Nobuo-san and I should move away."

I suddenly sit up. "No way! Ouch!"

"My, my, don't move so suddenly!"

"You two don't have to move away!"

"The two of us no longer have a reason to stay here any longer and if we do stay, we only bring inconvenience to you and other people. I think it is best if we left instead, Emi-chan."

"That's not true! You two aren't a convenience to me at all and things would get even lonelier if I lost the two of you too! I…I don't want you two to leave me all alone! I have no other people left here that I look at as family! Please!" My eyes seem to collect some tears as my vision of Sumiko-san blurs. "Please don't leave me behind too."

"…" Sumiko-san did not say a word.

I put my left arm over my face. "I already lost my parents and Yasuko; I don't want to lose you and Nobuo-san too."

"My, my, don't cry Emi-chan. If we were to move, we could still communicate thru the phone and we'll give you our address so that you can visit us whenever you're free. Emi, it has become hard for me and Nobuo-san to stay here. Whenever we wake up and see this house, we are reminded of not just happy memories but sad ones as well especially when we see Yasuko's room and the flowers in the garden. It's also hard to see you suffer because of me and Nobuo-san; you're always helping us even when you are busy and even when it's the yakuza that you're up against. Moving would bring peace of mind to both me and Nobuo-san and to you as well."

"Sumiko-san…"

"Hush now, don't cry. The police officers might hear you and that would be quite troublesome, yes?"

"Yeah…life is so troublesome." I whisper to myself.

The police leave after talking to Nobuo-san and rounding up all of the yakuza thugs; they didn't bother going upstairs since the thugs never got up to it. Nobuo-san also orders the stuff on Madoka's grocery list and told me that the goods will arrive at my apartment after fifteen minutes. All that's left is to think up an excuse for returning late; it's not easy to fool her.

"Emi-chan, take care on your way back." Nobuo-san says.

"Thank you again for today. Take care, Emi-chan." Sumiko-san then comes closer to me and says, "Dear, it is better to cry if it hurts. For as long as we've known you, you always hold your tears away because you believe that crying is not for the strong but if you were to ask me, even the strong may cry at times for they are human too who can feel. Humans are like a balloon; if it gets filled with too much air, it will burst into pieces."

I smile bitterly at Sumiko-san. "You and your wise words."

I say goodbye to them both and went on my way back home. After walking quite far from their house, I stop and look back at them. From where I stood, the sight before me looked like a painting—it was beautiful but somehow it had the feeling of sadness lingering in it, a sadness that was bittersweet to taste.

I turn around and continue to walk away.

"Perhaps, it would be better if they did move away from here. This place holds old and fresh memories of Yasuko and perhaps it is in a way hurting them deep inside. If they moved away, they would also be able to escape the grasp of the yakuza that's targeting them. They have nothing to lose and only have benefits to gain from moving away…I have no right to ask them to stay. It's only selfish of me for wanting them to remain."

Once again, I stop on my feet.

Urgh. My wounds actually kind of hurt; I should have been more careful. Man, I feel so awful *hic* I think I should *hic* go get some ice cream; that always helps me *hic* cheer up when I feel bad.

A cool breeze blows by as if caressing my back in order to comfort me.

But the wind could not stop the rain in my eyes from pouring as the road back home seems to have gotten longer.

* * *

*ding dong*

The door opens and a familiar frowning woman greets me.

"I'm home, Madoka—"

"Don't 'I'm home' me! Where have you been?!"

"Uh. I took some detours and I ended up taking longer than I thought and then I went to get some ice cream."

"Sigh. Unbelievable. I just sent you to buy some groceries and then you come home late. You even ended up calling for home grocery service!"

"Hehehe."

"Sigh. Just get inside already."

"Thank you, master!" I say playfully.

*meow*

"Hi Nao—WHA! I FORGOT YOUR FOOD! I'M SO SORRY!"

Nao's ears then flop down and he walks away from me.

"Nao! I'm really sorry! Don't be upset! Nao!"

*meow…*

He meows sadly as he walks slowly back to the living room. He suddenly stops by the living room door and looks back at me with a sad expression before he completely disappears into the living room like a scene from a drama on television.

"No! Naooooo!"

"Hold it right there!"

"Urk!"

Madoka grabs me from behind by the collar. I do my best to struggle for my freedom but as usual, it's useless. Makes me wonder how I can handle yakuza but not Madoka.

"Where were you all this time?"

"I visited some friends."

"And which friends are those?" She crosses her arms.

"Hmm…Old friends." Well, they're literally old and I've known them for a really long time so I'm technically not lying.

"And?"

"I spent time with them."

She scratches her head angrily. "Are you going to keep dodging my questions?"

"But but but, I'm not lying!" I start struggling again to get myself free from her grip but it's really useless. "Nao, help me!"

A faint meow can be heard from the living room.

Huhu. I have been abandoned by my cat…

"Now listen here, spill the beans before I lose my temper completely!" She puts her arms around my chest area and then she pulls me backwards so I start bending backwards like her. "Where were you all day?!"

"Wha! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! OW!"

"Eh? What on earth is this?!"

"Wait!"

Madoka grabs hold of my shirt and pulls it up from behind. Upon seeing my bandages and injuries, her face becomes a mix of shock and anger.

"What on earth is this?! Did you get mugged or did someone attack you?! Tell me what happened while you were out, Nakahara Koemi!" She's is furious, dead furious.

"It's not as serious as it looks! I—" The look in her eyes makes me pause for a moment as if to reflect on my intent to lie to her. "I..I, uhm, I saw a couple being harassed by some bad guys and so I helped them but, uh, things didn't go so peacefully so, uh, I got into a fight with them."

She takes her cell phone out of her pocket and dials a number.

"Who are you calling, Madoka?"

"Go get changed into better clothes and bring an extra set. Once the ambulance arrives, get in and I'll follow with my car."

"Ambulance?! Isn't that too much?"

"I don't think so. Look at those injuries! What if you have a fracture within or internal damage?! You're getting checked whether you like it or not!"

I groan as she pushes a part of my back.

I change into new clothes inside my work room. As I fix my appearance, I distract myself with thinking so that I can ignore the pain all over my body.

This totally sucks; just putting on a shirt is a pain so what more when I change my pants damn it. Putting on a pair of socks are gonna hurt too since I have to bend! I'm going to ask Madoka to put them on me! Hmm, she does have a point about getting checked. Having a broken bone or two isn't going to be good not just for my health but for my work too; I was hit with a metal bat after all so I'm kind of curious if my right arm and shoulder is really okay. I'll just tell the doctor to shut his mouth about some of the details when he gives a report to Madoka. She's gonna put me on house arrest or something like that if she finds out about the yakuza thing and one other detail I haven't told anyone in years. I should give auntie a call later after the examination. Gotta say hi and tell her what happened; she's gonna freak for sure.

"Koemi, the ambulance is already here. Go get down and board it now."

"Yes, ma'am!"

*meow*

I turn around before closing the entrance door and shout to Madoka since she's still in her room changing clothes and preparing things to bring. "Hey, are you gonna bring Nao?"

"It's a hospital. Why would I bring a cat to a hospital?"

"I'll escape from the hospital if you're not gonna bring him."

"Fine! I'll bring him somehow! Just go already!"

"Okay!"

*meoooow*

* * *

"Nakahara-san…"

"Yes, doctor?" I ask enthusiastically.

"…" He looks at me with a troubled expression.

"What is it, doc?"

"…Tell me again what happened to you."

"Like I said, I was visiting an old couple I'm friends with and then there were some yakuza who came and then they were tryin' to get money from the old couple and so I helped them out by beating the crap out of the yakuza thugs but the fight wasn't as smooth as I'd thought it'd be and it got more difficult when their reinforcements came and so I had to keep fighting or else they're gonna get to the old couple upstairs. When they heard the cops comin', they ran away but the cops were kinda late since I already got to take down a lot of the thugs before they ran away."

"…and you didn't get checked right after because?"

"Well, you already know that I'm currently a famous idol right? I can't let the agency know that I got involved with yakuza and did some fightin'. Even my manager doesn't know the real story of what happened so don't tell her, okay doc?"

The doctor takes his glasses off and puts his hand over his face. "You are just…"

"Incredible?" I say happily.

"Uh, you could say that with a different connotation. Anyway, you're lucky that you don't have any fractures or any internal bleeding. You have a lot of bruises and some cuts; they'll heal over time perhaps around a week or so. I'll prescribe you some pain killers since your whole body is quite swollen from the hits you took and you won't stop saying ouch every time I ask you to move."

"Thanks a lot, doc."

"But don't get involved in things like that again, okay?! It's dangerous! What if you get killed?! We're talking about the yakuza here!"

"Yes, yes, yes, I know doc. I know."

The doctor sighs at my easy going behaviour.

"Here's your prescription for the pain killers and some ointments you should use to help with the healing process and to ease more of the pain. You can buy them in this hospital's pharmacy on the first floor; if you experience any complications or if you have any questions, my contact details and clinic hours are over here at the bottom of the prescription paper."

"Okay."

"I'll have a word with your manager. I won't tell her the actual events that took place as promised; I will tell her a different story but it will be consistent with what you told me to say and with the details of your injuries. I will also explain to her how to treat your injuries at home."

"Please tell her to be gentle. She's gonna kill me."

The doctor chuckles.

"While I talk to your manager, the nurse will apply ointment on your injuries and bruises and redo the bandages."

"Okay."

The nurse then directs me to where she'll be treating me.

* * *

The door opens and Madoka enters the doctor's consultation room.

"You called me, sir?"

"…Why do you have a cat with you, Rukawa-san?"

"It's Nakahara's cat; she asked me to bring it with me."

"Ah, okay. It's quite cute. How did you bring it into the hospital? Pets aren't allowed."

*meow*

"Quiet, Nao! We'll get in trouble if you won't stay quiet. Doctor, I just pulled some strings. They allowed me to bring in the cat as long as I have it with me at all times and it doesn't make noise."

"Rukawa-san, Nakahara-san is not in any critical condition nor does she have any serious injuries. Her body is covered with multiple bruises and injuries which are individually painful and that is why she has difficulty in moving."

"What were the causes of her bruises and injuries?"

"They seem to have been caused by blows from blunt objects."

"Such as?"

"The assailants may have caused

"The examination results are consistent with the story of events that Nakahara-san has told us."

"Understood. I'm relieved that she's technically alright. Thank you for your hard work and time, doctor."

"The pleasure is mine. I've given the prescription for painkillers and ointments to her. These are the ointments I've prescribed to her. Please apply these two daily before putting the bandages on her while this one over here is to relieve stronger aches and pain so only apply this one when needed. When you two get home, please apply a cold compress to help reduce the swelling and pain. Here, I wrote the instructions I've just said in case you would forget." He hands over a sheet of paper to Madoka.

"Thank you again, doctor. In Nakahara's current condition, is she fit to work?"

"If it's just singing, she's definitely okay for that but if her work will involve moving around such as performing with an instrument or with choreography, she can do it however she may be uncomfortable or experience some pain and that goes the same with carrying items that may be a little heavy; I'd recommend minimal movements until her bruises and wounds heal."

"I'll remember that."

*meow*

"Take care on the way home and have a good night."

"Same to you, doctor."

Madoka leaves the doctor's office and heads towards the lobby.

"Madoka! I'm over here!"

"How are your wounds?"

"They feel better especially after the nurse applied the ointments!"

Koemi is about to get Nao from Madoka's arms but Madoka takes a step backward.

"Eh?"

"You can't carry Nao, Koemi. The doctor said that it's better to not strain your body so you're not allowed to move around too much or carry anything heavy."

"But! Nao isn't heavy!"

"Yes he is. Have you not noticed how he's gotten fat?"

"…Now that you mentioned it."

Nao squints hi eyes and then looks away. I guess he didn't like being called fat…even though he kinda is.

"You're gonna be in a diet from now on until you slim down." I say as I poke his nose.

"Let's go home now. The car is parked at the front."

"Okay. Wait a minute, am I allowed to work?"

"You are as long as you don't strain yourself and carry anything heavy."

"That's good. That means I can still continue working on my album! It would have sucked if I had to take a break from it especially since it's almost done!"

"That's true but it would also be a problem because Saotome just gave you a new project last night."

"I got a project from the president? What's it gonna be like?"

"He was impressed by your CD sales and your increasing popularity so he decided to give you a collab project with a fellow Shining Agency artist."

"That's cool. Who am I gonna be working with? I'm getting excited!"

"You'll find out soon; the announcement of the collaboration is going to be two days from now. The announcement will be done at Shiba Park Hotel. There's no interview or whatsoever as it will really just be a formal announcement of the collaboration and then a meeting with the producers and staff; Saotome himself will be there too. We can talk about the project's details tomorrow so that you'd know what to say in the event. For tonight, just rest and concentrate on feeling better."

"Okay."

*meow*

I pat Nao's head as Madoka drives us home safely. My butt is itchy at the moment but…that's gonna hurt to reach…


	11. Chapter 10: Duo

**Author's Note:** Hello~ Long time no see! I've been busy these days and my school term just ended last week. School is starting next month on the second week again and I dunno what to feel haha. Anyway, ta-dah! An update~ I'm so sorry if updates aren't coming out often or any faster huhu please forgive me. I will continue to do my best and provide more! Don't worry. This story will definitely not be abandoned! It will continue on until the end~ Just be patient with me hehe (;u;)/

* * *

 **CHAPTER 10: Duo**

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!"

"Stop moving so much!"

"I can't help it! You're just not gentle at all! It hurts when you put them!"

"Just endure a little longer! I'm almost done applying the ointments!"

"But you have to help me put on the bandages after! That's going to hurt too!"

"Then put the bandages on by yourself if you don't like the way I do it!"

"I would do just that if I could, ya know?!"

"There, I've put the ointments on. Time to bandage you up next."

Madoka starts putting the bandage around my torso and I flinch in pain each time she wraps the bandage around me. This is so much torture. Experiencing this every single day is just…torture! I'm really holding hope to doc's word about getting better within a week!

"Finished. I'll bring some of the bandage with me in case these get ruined while we're out and I'll also bring the other ointment in case you feel some unbearable pain."

"Urgh. I hope that the bandages will hold; I don't want to go thru that again today."

"Well, we're right on schedule. Go and get changed; we're leaving in ten minutes."

Madoka stands up and pats me on the back with some force.

"OW! BE GENTLE!" I shout as I stand up to head to my room.

Since I'm still sore everywhere, I didn't dare try to wear too much accessories or put on my usually layers of clothing. A simple black shirt with a design of white wings on the back and a pair of faded jeans is good to go. Oh! It won't be complete without my black leather ankle high boots! Lookin' good, Koemi.

"Madokaaa."

"What?"

"Is there going to be food?"

"Yes."

"Is Shiba Park Hotel's food tasty?"

"For what I know, yes."

My eyes sparkle as we leave the apartment.

There's goin' to be food!

As I slowly get inside Madoka's car, I notice a man leaving the apartment building; he's wearing a cap and a black sweatshirt. He looks sketchy.

I ignore the guy and fasten my seatbelt.

"Oh. I'll be right back, Koemi. Just stay put here in the car."

"Eh? Why?"

Madoka suddenly gets out of the car and approaches the man wearing a cap and black sweatshirt. She seems to be talking to him about something.

Is he a friend of Madoka's? That'd be weird. It's hard enough to believe she has time to make friends with her schedule and, well, her personality I guess.

Madoka and the man then walk towards the car.

"We're set to go." Madoka says as she fastens her seatbelt.

The man then gets inside the car and sits at the back.

"Wait, hold on a minute. Who's the dude?" I point at the guy.

"He's with us, _Eika_."

The guy takes his hood and hat off and an annoying silver haired guy appears. "Thanks for the ride, Madoka. My ride couldn't make it on time; thought I was gonna have to take the train or taxi."

"You'd be late if you did, Kurosaki." Madoka then drives away.

"Why is he here?! You should have let him take the public transportation!"

"Like I said, he's with us. He's the person you're going to work with, Eika."

"WHAT?!"

Kurosaki suddenly grabs hold of the side of the front passenger's seat and looks at Madoka. "You're telling me that she's the one I'm going to work with?! You've got to be kiddin' me!"

"Hey, I'm not happy about this either." I say.

"You two are going to be working together whether you like it or not since the president himself decided this. You two better play nice or else."

"Can't we persuade him to change his mind?!" I say desperately.

"We can't. Everything has been set up already including the advertisements and contracts."

Kurosaki and I groan.

"Sigh. You better not get in the way of things." Kurosaki says.

"Me? You must be referring to yourself, half wit." I cross my arms.

"You pickin' a fight with me?" Kurosaki says angrily.

"You're the one picking a fight, not me."

"Annoying brat!"

"Fake heterochromia!"

"Useless brat!"

"Fake silver hair!"

"Midget!"

"Monkey!"

Unwilling to back down, we continue throwing insults at each other with no discretion.

"Talentless kid!"

"Tactless geezer!"

"Ugly woman!"

"Banana brain!"

"Would you two stop arguing like children already?!" Madoka shouts. "You two are giving me a headache!"

"But he started it, Madoka! He was picking on me!"

"Can't help it if the kid is a failure."

"See! He's picking on me again!"

"SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU! OR ELSE I'M GOING TO DROP YOU OFF NOW AND MAKE YOU WALK TO THE HOTEL!"

Kurosaki and I shut our traps and sit still like good little…uh…puppies.

"Kurosaki, did you bring a change of clothes?" Madoka asks.

"Yeah, I did." He lifts the gym bag he had with him.

"Good. Change immediately once we reach the venue; look presentable as always."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Presentable monkey." I say quietly.

*meow*

"Eh? Nao?" I look towards the back seats where Kurosaki is sitting and see Nao coming out from the bottom of the chairs.

"Where did lil' fella come from?" Kurosaki scratches Nao's head as it lies down on his lap.

"Nao?! How did that thing get inside the car?!"

"He's not a thing!" I say angrily back automatically. "He could have gotten inside the car when Kurosaki was getting in; he's a sly cat ya know."

"This the cat from before?" Kurosaki asks.

"Yeah, he's the one that snuck into your bag."

"You're a good lil' guy, aren't ya? Way better than your owner over there."

"What did you say?!"

*meooow*

Nao sits happily on Kurosaki's lap and enjoys the rubs that he's receiving.

"Hnghhhh, Madoka! The monkey's tryin' to get Nao! He's gonna steal my Nao!"

"Let him. He can take the cat any time, any day." Madoka says flatly.

"NO! I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN! NAO IS MINE!"

*meow*

Kurosaki lifts Nao into the air. Nao's tail sways left and right and tries to reach for Kurosaki's face.

"Heh, playfully guy. You're really cute."

*meoooowwwww*

Nao finally reaches Kurosaki's nose and pokes it. His tail swings even faster side to side and he starts flailing his legs and arms around in the air, showing his joy.

Kurosaki smiles at Nao and puts him back down.

"WHA! HE'S WINNING OVER MY CAT! THE DEVIL SMILED! MADOKA!"

I look at Madoka sharply but she's just humming happily as she drives. Traitor!

I decide to just quietly sit on my chair and leer at Kurosaki the whole time.

* * *

Shiba Park Hotel comes into view. It looks like a nice hotel and it's pretty big.

When Madoka makes a turn, a crowd of reporters and cameramen can be seen all gathered at a designated area. Man, there're a lot of media trucks. They really just here for the collaboration announcement? Saotome sure got too much media for it, I think.

"Hey Madoka, why're there this many reporters and cameramen just for a collaboration announcement? Isn't this too much?"

Kurosaki looks around too. "The kid has a point. Saotome better not be pulling something behind the doors."

"You two don't need to concern yourselves with anything; I assure you that Saotome isn't doing anything that would go beyond or against the contract for this project." Madoka heads straight towards the parking lot.

Something's fishy about this. It isn't impossible that Saotome would pull something off without telling Madoka or everyone else.

Madoka parks the car and turns off the engine. "Kurosaki." she hands him a key with a room label attached to it. "Go ahead to the 9th floor to room 903; get changed and refresh yourself."

"Got it." He takes the key from Madoka and gets out of the car with his bag and Nao.

"Wait a minute, don't take Nao with you!" I say loudly as I unbuckle my seatbelt.

"I ain't leaving the cat in the car."

"Of course! Neither would I! Give him back to me!"

"I will later."

I get out of the car and go after Kurosaki. "Get back here, you monke—"

"And where do you think you're going? Our room is at the other wing so we have to take that elevator over there."

"Madoka, let me go! I have to get Nao back from the evil monkey king!"

"Nao can wait, the press cannot."

Nao goes up to Kurosaki's shoulder and looks at Eika happily.

*meeeoooow*

"Huhu. My babyyyyyy!"

"Just let him take the cat for now. Come on."

I got into the elevator with Madoka and she presses the 9th floor button. Turns out our rooms are all on the 9th floor but Kurosaki's is found at the other wing; we're at the east wing while he's at the west wing.

*ping*

"Our room is this way; it's number 915."

The moment we entered the hotel room, my mouth was left open.

"This room is so cool! It's big and clean and it just looks really good!"

I head over to the bed closest to the window and jump onto it.

"The bed is so soft and comfy, Madoka!...OUCH MY BODY!"

"Yes, it is. You can have a bed like that one day if you save enough money and move to a more spacious apartment. Was the bed so tempting to make you forget about your injuries? I'm going to check on the bandages and add more ointment before we head downstairs."

"Okay. Oh! The television is big too!"

"Koemi, now's not the time to gawk at everything. Refresh yourself then we'll make our way to the function hall."

"Okay. Are we gonna be staying here overnight?"

"We'll be staying here for two days because of some meetings with the agency about this collaboration project. Don't worry about clothes; I packed some for us."

"Now you're just feeding my suspicion that this isn't just going to be an album in the making." I sit up on the bed and sit with my legs crossed. "Madoka, are we really just going to have a press conference and a meeting for two days just for a collaboration album?"

"It's bothering you, isn't it? You're not going to stop talking about it?"

"I'll keep asking about it and bother you till you tell me."

Madoka sighs as she sits down on the side of her bed just across me.

"In all honesty, I don't know what Saotome is up to but after working for him for years, I just know he was going to do something but it's always impossible to predict what he'd do. The best I can come up with is probably that you two will have a concert together but I'm pretty sure there's more than that in Saotome's head."

"A concert with Kurosaki? That's actually gonna be rad!"

"Oh my god, you actually used that old word."

"What? It just suddenly came outta my mouth."

"Surprising though; I thought you were gonna complain about having to perform with him live. You don't like him, right?"

"I don't like him but I ain't gonna be ignorant and not acknowledge his skills. Whether I like it or not, he's a good rock musician and I respect that. It's not easy to be a rock musician, ya know."

"Hm. Surprising. You two may actually get along then in this project."

"Work related, yeah probably."

"Well, do your best and your popularity will surely increase and that means you'll have more work and income."

"That means we can have some sushi!"

"If you do well, I'll treat you to yakiniku. Deal?"

"Deal!"

Madoka chuckles. "Enough chit chat, let's put your ointment on and fix your bandages so we won't be late."

"Please be gentle. Huhuhu."

* * *

At the function hall, reporters and cameramen eagerly wait for the press conference to start. An elevated stage is found at one corner of the function hall and a long table and chairs rest on top of it. The function hall was fairly quiet with just the whispers of the media filling the air.

However, they suddenly became quiet at the sound of a familiar laughter.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The curtains suddenly close on their own and colorful lights suddenly turn on, waving everywhere in all directions. Some kind of rock music starts playing in the hall loudly.

"Weeeeeellllllllllllccccccccoooooooooooommmmmmmeeeeeeeeeeeee, everyone! It's great to have you all today for this exciting announcement!"

Smoke suddenly appears and fills the floor of the hall. Four pillars of fire suddenly shoot up from the sides of the elevated stage, two on each side. And at the same exact moment that those pillars of fire shot up, Saotome pops out from beneath the elevated stage; he must have used a trap door mechanism with a jumping platform.

"Good morning to you all!" He strikes a pose and the media shoots away their cameras. "Thank you for coming despite your busy schedules hehehehe."

"You made them come in the first place." I say to myself at the backstage.

"Be quiet." Madoka elbows me from the left.

"Ow! That hurt!"

"Saotome sir, so what was the big announcement that you were going to reveal to us today?" One reporter asks.

"We're really curious about what you said over the phone! You said that you had an 'explosive' project coming up. What is this so-called project, sir?" Another reporter asks.

"Now, now, don't be too excited! First, let's have the two stars come up the stage and be personally part of my explosive announcement! Saotome stands over to the left side of the stage. "Please come up on stage, Msssss. Eika and Mr. Kurrrrrosaki Ranmaru!"

At his cue, a representative from Shining Agency, Kurosaki, Madoka, and I enter the stage from the left side. I thought I'd fall of the stage or bump into people because the flashes from the cameras of the media were everywhere and were so strong! I could barely see anything or anyone properly from the crowd!

Kurosaki and I were both given microphones by the staff.

"Good morning!" I say energetically.

"Uh. Mornin'." Kurosaki says as he covers his eyes a little. "Could you turn down your flashes? We're gonna go blind within the day this way."

The media listens to Kurosaki's request and now we can actually see them from the stage.

"I'd like to announce that these two will be working together as a unit called 'Rose and Thorn!' Bwahahahaha! Rose and Thorn's works will be licensed and published by Shining Productions, Cauliflower Inc., and Mantis Company Limited."

Oh my god…what a lame name to give us, Saotome. How I wish I could strangle you right now with my bare hands.

"As a new unit is born, a door opens to more possibilities!"

Suddenly, a tarpaulin rolls down from above after the sound of a party popper popping with confetti.

"Thus, I'd like to announce that the Rose and Thorn duo will be releasing their first single within the next month! Their second single will then be released the month after and so forth!"

Are you kidding me? He expects us to come up with a single every month aside from our works as individual idols?! I can see my weekends and holidays flying away into the air already.

More party poppers pop from the sides of the stage all of a sudden, shocking all of us. An even bigger tarpaulin comes rolling down from above; it ends up hitting and covers all four of us at the center stage.

"Whaaa!" I get pushed a little backwards.

"The hell?! Are you tryin' to push us off of the stage, old man?!" Kurosaki says as he gets pushed back too by the big heavy tarpaulin.

The representative of Shining Agency disappeared; he must have been hit hard and fell off at the back of the stage. Madoka's glasses were hit right off of her face; she looks really mad and ready to take down Saotome in a second.

"Taaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-daaaaaaaahhhhhhh! After the duo's 8th single is released, they will have their first concert together as Rose and Thorn! Details on the merchandise that would be sold will be announced five months before the concert day and pre-orders will start two weeks after announcement of goods."

The press conference continues on with Saotome mainly talking and answering questions. Kurosaki and I barely said anything the whole time and just stood there on stage like a display. I dunno how much time has passed but I feel like we've been standing here for hours and hours.

I want to go eat fried chicken right now.

Time passes on and the press conference finally ends. Mother father gentleman, that was a complete waste of energy! We. Just. Stood. There. Doing. Nothing. Urgh.

"Madoka, can we go eat now? I feel like eating fried chicken."

"Not yet, Eika. The brief meeting with Saotome and starts now."

"Hnghhh."

"I think it won't take too long; he practically has said every important detail during the press conference. The most he could do is just to mention all those details again and perhaps add a little more information that's about the legal and process schedule aspects of the project."

"But it sucks that I have to work with Kurosaki for more than a year based on what he said. Huhu."

"Same here. Sucks to work with you for a lame named unit."

"Wha! Don't sneak up on people like that!"

"What are you talkin' about?! I've been walking behind you two this whole time!"

"What for?!"

"We're all going to the meeting, right?! So duh I'm goin' the same way."

"You are so annoying."

"Not as annoying and incapable as you."

"WOULD YOU TWO JUST BE TAMED UNTIL WE GET THE MEETING DONE AND OVER WITH?!"

Kurosaki and I shut up at Madoka's angry tone.

* * *

"Wellllcome, Ms. Eika and Mr. Kurosaki!"

Kurosaki and I kept a straight face towards Saotome; we're not pleased with this old man.

"What's with those faces, my dear idolllllls?"

"You know what's up." Kurosaki says as he crosses his arms angrily. "It was bad enough when you suddenly ordered me to work in a duo and then it turns out to be her? Now you go on announcing a continuous schedule of single releases and then a concert? You're pullin' my strings too hard, old man."

"Mr. Kurosakiii, weren't you the one who requested for more work since you had time in your hands all of a suuuudden?"

"I did but this is too much."

"Nonsense! There is no such thing as too much in the entertainment industry! Hahahaha! Besides, there's no turning back now since everything has been settled."

"Without prior notice."

Saotome just smiles at Kurosaki.

"Hey. I'm here too ya know." I say out of nowhere while raising my left hand into the air. "Don't I have a say in this too?"

"What is it, Ms. Eikaaa? Is something bothering you?"

"Well aside from the complaints this monkey's been saying,"

Everyone listens intently to me.

"I was wondering when do we get to eat."

Everyone stayed silent for a moment.

"…Ms. Eika, are you—"

I nod. "Yeah, I'm serious as hell. You practically said everything already at the press conference so what more can you say to us now? We haven't eaten so I was wondering if we can go eat now, pres."

"…"

"…"

"…"

Saotome's stomach suddenly growls so loud that it echoes all throughout the room.

"…You all may go and fill your stomachs! I will update you all if any changes happen! Good luck to you both and may you create a new starrrrrr in the vast skyyyyy! Bwahahahahaha!"

Saotome does some back flips until he shoots out of a window.

"So food time it is." I say happily all of a sudden. Kurosaki and Madoka look at me blankly. "What? I'm hungry. Aren't you guys hungry too?"

"Kind of." Kurosaki suddenly says.

"See? Let's go eat first before all this stress from the pres! What should we eat?"

"Meat. It has to be meat."

"Hmm, I dunno any place nearby. You?"

"A few. Around two near here and another two a little far but we can get there on foot."

"Awesome. Let's go. Let's go. Lead the way monkey!"

"Monkey my butt! You gonna pay part of my food for this."

"Eh? No way!"

"Then I ain't taking you."

"That's not fair either! Fine! I'll pay for dessert!"

"Fine by me."

"Are we headin' to a yakiniku joint?"

"Nah, something better but for a slightly cheaper price."

"Ohhhh sounds good! You any place good for fish?"

"There's one near our apartment building."

"Eh?! There is?! No way!"

"It opened two months ago. Kinda hidden so you won't really notice it unless you see it's small sign by a fence."

"I wanna go there. Teach me the directions later! I'll give ya a code for a music shop I know; I'm close to the owner so if ya give him the code, you get discounts for all sorts of stuff there."

"The discount applies to the guitars?"

"Yeah! It applies to all the merch except the limited edition stuff and new arrivals. It's best to use the code for the basic needs like strings and stuff; it's a big help with the budget."

"'kay. By the way, you allergic to anything?"

"Nah. I got no allergies."

"You should try the special steak at the meat joint we're goin' to; it has a lot of flavours 'cause of the spices they use."

"Sounds good!"

"I guess food is the answer to making these two get along." Madoka watches the two leave her in search for food. "I guess I'm off for sushi and udon; some beer sounds good too. Maybe I'll invite a friend; I hope he isn't too busy back at the agency. Having beer at day…it's been a long time since I went drinking while the sun's up."

* * *

"THIS TASTES SO GOOD! IT MELTS IN THE MOUTH!"

"See? Told ya it's good."

"You some kind of food hunter or something? How do you find places like these?"

"I wander around sometimes when I got time."

"Ah, okay." I eat another piece of the steak and my face just glows with happiness.

"You know, ya eat like a kid."

"Shut up! I just know how to enjoy food unlike some people."

"Heh, guess you can put it that way."

We continue to eat but we stop talking to each other. Not long after, we finish our meals.

"That hit the spot." Kurosaki says.

"It sure did! Hey, I don't want to ruin the happy mood but what're we gonna do about the Rose and Thorn thing? We have to come up with at least two or three songs for a single by next month."

The usual scowl reflects on his face. "Whether I like this or not, I'm stuck with you, kid. And there's no point arguing with the old man."

The bill arrives at our table and we pay for our meals.

"So what's the plan, monkey?"

"We make songs for the singles. Hell, we can just make all the songs we'll need so that we won't have to rush deadlines."

"Okay. Let's start making songs! So where are we—"

Kurosaki stands up and leaves the restaurant.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" I get up and go after him.

"Back to the hotel."

"We'll work at the hotel?"

"No."

"Then we'll work somewhere else?"

"No."

"Are we gonna work at all?"

"We will."

"When? Where?"

Kurosaki stops walking and I bump onto his back.

"Ow! My nose." I mumble to myself as I rub the tip of my nose.

"Listen up. I got no intention to work with ya so don't follow me around. Even if Saotome put us into a unit together it doesn't mean we actually have to work together aside from the live performances. You go make your songs and I'll make mine and all we have to do is to just submit 'em and put them together in the same CD, right? The only time we'll actually work in the same space is during practices for live shows and when we get on stage but for the rest, we just go our separate ways."

"But that's—"

"That's how it's gonna play. Now leave me alone, kid." He turns his back against me and starts walking away.

Without hesitation, I angrily grab his arm and make him face me.

"Don't turn your back on me! I don't care or like working with you either but I'm not doing this just for the pay check or the fame. I dunno about you but I'm doing this for the art of music and for the people who have been supporting me all this time in my passion and in my career!"

Kurosaki becomes surprised at my remark. I angrily grab him by the collar and pull him down to my height.

"You can treat me badly, you can be half assed with me, but don't you dare be half assed with an attitude towards music or towards those who've been backing us up since day one of our careers! That makes you a TRAITOR!"

I spoke too loudly that people started staring at us. I immediately release Kurosaki and lower my voice.

"I meant what I said so if you want to go ahead and be such an ass, go! I won't go down to your level!"

I angrily walk away leaving him there speechless. The next thing I knew was that I reached around two or three blocks away from the restaurant.

"…..HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" I shout out loud out of nowhere.

Okay. That let out some steam…a lot of steam but I can't help but still feel frustrated and angry! That man is just! URGGHHHHH! I want to punch him but then I'd get in trouble for it!

I breathe heavily, trying to catch my breath and to calm down.

"That's it! I'll just go and enjoy myself at Carnival World! Riding the rollercoaster and other rides will definitely help me blow some steam away! It's not like I have anything better to do since I don't think we'll get any work done today thanks to an uncooperative monkey. Let's go, me!"

* * *

This is good—being at a nice bar, wearing casual clothes, away from the desk, and just enjoying some alcohol.

"Sorry I'm late, Madoka."

"You're late, four eyes."

"You're one to speak."

"You're lucky to have some free time too. Not too busy at the office, Kumagai?"

He suddenly stiffens and a rain of sweat pours down from his head.

"Let me guess, you escaped from the office?"

He drinks some of the beer I ordered ahead for him. "Ever since I got promoted, I feel like the pile of work I had before turned into a mountain! Saotome has been raining down projects left and right; I have no idea how is he able to carry on so many projects at a time!"

"That's the old man for you. He likes to start things but he's not going to be the one to handle it." I drink some of my beer. "But we do have to give him some credit since he does all the scheduling of events and he does do majority of the planning of projects and then he has the academy to take care of. Makes you wonder if he's just like us—little time to spare."

"Yeah, he's capable in his own way."

"So how's your idol? Is she doing well?"

Kumagai nods. "She and her partner are doing really well."

"Oh yeah. Mikaze has been doing really well; he surprised everyone with beating Saotome's record in sales. Those two have been going nowhere but up; I'm happy for them."

"So am I. I've seen how those two have grown and I'd say it was magical to watch them bloom."

"You sound like a dork, Kumagai. Hahaha."

"Bully. What about you? How's Nakahara?"

"A pain in the butt without a doubt; she and her cat are just troublesome."

Kumagai laughs.

"But you know, she may be troublesome but she's got talent. Her sales have been going up and her fan base has increased dramatically. I'd say she's going to be a very good idol in the near future; I bet my job on that."

"That's rare; you're actually praising someone that much. I wish you'd praise me like that too."

"Who knows? Work harder."

"I see. So you'll praise me at my funeral. Haha."

"I just remembered, Yamashita and Mikaze will get married soon right?"

"Yes. Believe it or not, their wedding is going to be sponsored by Marriage Contract."

"That's incredibly impressive but not as impressive as that time you peed in your pants in high school."

He suddenly spits out a little of his beer. "That was—! Urgh. I knew I shouldn't have gone to that test of courage thing."

"Hahahaha! I was laughing so hard when you were hugging our classmate out of terror the whole time and then when the guy dressed up as a zombie came out from one of the classrooms, you screamed so loud and peed in your pants! Hahahaha! That was such a funny sight!"

"Oh please, stop reminding me the tragic points of my high school life hahaha…ha…ha."

Kumagai and I continue to leisurely talk while enjoying our alcohol and some side dishes.

"Hm? Madoka, isn't that Kurosaki Ranmaru of Quartet Night?"

"Eh? Where?"

"Over there by the table at the window."

He points at a table and the moment I set my eyes at the direction, I see Kurosaki drinking a cup of coffee while staring outside the window.

"Wait a minute. Why is he alone? He's supposed to be with Nakahara!"

"You mentioned to me that he and Nakahara don't get along. Maybe they fought?"

"That's a problem."

I get out of my seat and sit down on the chair across Kurosaki.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just drinking a little."

"Coffee at a bar. You have to be kidding me."

"I got tired from walking, okay? I ended up here."

"And why did you get tired from walking?"

"Are you some kind of detective?"

"Well?" I cross my arms and give him a cold stare.

"We had a disagreement."

I stare at him longer.

"Sigh. I had a disagreement with the kid. There, happy?"

"So where is she now?"

"Dunno."

"You don't know?" I ask in an angry tone.

"I really don't. Look, I tried callin' her after some time but she doesn't answer her phone."

"So you started walking around because you felt she's been too quiet and missing for too long."

"…"

"I'm going to try to contact her."

I take out my cell phone from my pocket and dial Koemi's number.

"…"

Her phone keeps ringing but she doesn't pick up. I dial her number again...and again.

"She's not answering her phone." I stop calling her after several attempts.

"You don't have to worry much. It's probably just a tantrum."

"Says the man who feels guilty after the disagreement. What did you two argue about this time anyway? Was it about work?"

"Urgh, you could say that."

"So what will you do now?"

"Me?"

"I have a friend with me today who came all the way here so I can't leave him now so the only person who can go look for her is you."

"You seem calm for a manager whose idol is missing."

"It's not the first time she's gone missing so I've gotten numb towards it and besides, if anything happens to her, it's going to be on your head and not mine this time."

He leans back on his chair with a disgruntled expression. "I get it. I get it. I get it. I'll find her." He then drinks his coffee in one go. "Where does she usually disappear to?"

"I have no idea."

"What?!"

"She usually returns within the day on her own and every time I ask her where she went, she would always avoid the question."

"Can't we wait for her to return to the hotel then?"

"We could but the thing is that this time she doesn't know how to get back to the hotel on her own."

"…What?"

"She doesn't know the way back to Shiba Park Hotel and I bet she'll end up spending the pocket money I gave her on food or something she likes; she might not have enough to take the taxi or train wherever she is going to come from."

He scowls at my comment and stands up.

"Sigh. I'm heading out. I'll update you thru messages."

"Good luck. You need all the luck that you can get today."

He exits the store without saying anything nor looking back. I return to my original seat where Kumagai sat waiting.

"Welcome back to vacation mode. I'm guessing you said something like having a friend over so you can't go so you made him look for Nakahara."

"That's right." I return to my beer. "I'm not going to give up this leisure time to go look for Nakahara; let him suffer for me."

"Hahahaha! You haven't changed at all over the years."

"Just like what my dad used to say—If others can do it, let them do it."

"Cheers to that! I wish we could use that line of thinking at work."

"If we did, we'd lose our jobs and Shining Agency would close down hahaha."

"Sigh. Cheers to the busy bodies of Shining Agency!"

"Cheers!"

Kumagai and I clink our glasses of beer and drink them down in one go.

"By the way Kumagai, I have a question."

"What is it, Madoka?"

"Have you ever had the chance to handle stalkers?"

"You mean those creeps who follow you around and all?"

"Yeah."

"Well first of all, you have to confirm first if you have a stalker. You have to check…"

* * *

"Where the hell am I gonna find the kid? I ain't willing to roam around for nothin'. Sigh."

*meowww*

I turn around to find Nao standing behind me.

"What are you doing here? How'd you even get out of the hotel room? I told ya to wait there."

I squat down to pat his head.

"Hey, would you know where your troublesome owner went to? I'm gonna be in deep shit if I don't find her."

*meeeow*

He circles around me once and then suddenly heads off to one direction.

*meow*

He stops for a moment and looks back at me.

"I'll take that as a yes. You better not be pulling my leg, Nao; I trust you."

*meow*

I start following him around town. This may be a long shot but I got more chances with this rather than wandering around with no basis. I'm impressed that Nao knows the subway system; he must be an outgoing cat that goes around with the kid.

*meeeooow*

He leads me into one of the subway stations and he stands in front of one of the ticket machines.

"So where are we headin' to? Which ticket am I gonna get?"

*meow*

I take my wallet out and show him two hundred yen.

*…* He doesn't respond.

I look at the map and train fares again and decide to take out a fifty yen coin and show him a total of two hundred fifty yen.

*meow*

I insert the coins and then Nao suddenly presses the train fair button for two hundred twenty yen. I had no idea the touch screen accepts cat paws; this is something really interesting if ya ask me.

I take my ticket and change.

"Two hundred twenty yen, huh. Hey Nao, give me a sec."

I take one of the train station map brochures and lay it on the floor at one corner.

"So which of these stations over here are we getting off?"

He moves towards one section of the map and places his paw on a specific station.

"Okay, got it. We gonna get out from that station or are we gonna ride another train?"

*meow*

He places another paw to another station.

"We're going there?"

*meow*

"You sure?"

*meooooow*

"Mommy, that man is talking to that cat over there."

"Don't look at him or talk about him, dear. Come on, we're going to miss our train."

*meow*

"If we're getting off there…Wait a minute, you telling me she went to Carnival World?!"

*meow*

"What the hell?! What's she doin' all the way there?! Havin' a day out or something while worrying everyone? Sigh. Let's just go get her already. Sigh"

*meow*

"Why'd you choose a human like her to be your owner? Tch. Hold on, you can't get on the train. What are you gonna do about it?"

*meooow*

He leads me to a convenience store and somehow signals to me to buy a drink and a snack. Once I got the stuff, he hops into the plastic bag and lies still inside.

"I see what you were thinking. Alright, we're set to go."

We pass thru the ticket gates and make our way to the platform to wait for the train. I sit down at one of the waiting chairs.

 _Don't turn your back on me! I don't care or like working with you either but I'm not doing this just for the pay check or the fame. I dunno about you but I'm doing this for the art of music and for the people who have been supporting me all this time in my passion and in my career!_

She was really angry, that kid.

 _You can treat me badly, you can be half assed with me, but don't you dare be half assed with an attitude towards music or towards those who've been backing us up since day one of our careers! That makes you a TRAITOR!_

A traitor, huh? The way she put it made it sound like I'm like not that different from those guys back then—my old "pals" who left me hanging because of their women and loss of interest. I've always been into rock and it's been a part of my life since forever. Hell, I even decided to dye my hair since I was a kid till now and wear this freakin' contact lens for aesthetic purposes just for the love of rock. I enjoy nothing more than playing my guitar and let out some rock songs; I live and breathe rock music all of my life.

The train arrives and I get up to line up on front of one of the doors.

I'm not taking my career lightly either and I'm not ungrateful for the support of the fans either; in fact, I'm grateful that there are people out there who can still care about rock as much as I do. I don't think my love for rock has changed.

…Maybe I have changed?

The intercom of the train suddenly speaks, "The next station is…"

This is our stop.

Today's crowd is manageable. It'll be an advantage in finding the kid.

We finally arrive at Carnival World after taking the connecting train going to it. Nao hops outta the plastic bag from the convenience store and gets past the front gate entrance. I catch up to him after buying my entrance ticket.

"We're here. So which direction are we goin' to?"

Nao looks around the area for a moment.

*…meoooooow*

"You're not sure where to go?" I look around for a moment. "This place may be big but if you're sure she's here then most likely we'll find her. You think she'll be here the whole day?"

*meow*

We start walking around the park, going to whatever direction we feel like going to.

* * *

"Fwaaa! I feel great after riding the rollercoaster eight times! So what ride will I go to next?! Exciting! But I'm wanna buy a drink first; all that shouting made my throat dry."

I buy a 16oz drink from one of the food stands at the side and sit at a bench.

"Refreshing! Hmm, what to ride next…"

I've already rode the Merry Go Round, the Flying Chairs, the Lightning Mountain Road, the Waterfleet, the Mystic Carousel, the Flying Elephants, the Star Clash Ships, the Ride and Go Seek, the Spinning Tops, and the Galactic Mountain Rollercoaster…Hahahaha! I've been here for a long time! Going back to the hotel and staying there all day would have been boring and it's not like I'll be able to work either. Oh! That reminds me! My album will be released next week! I can't wait for it! I'm confident in the quality of my album and I'm pretty sure it's gonna sell a lot! But most importantly, I'm sure a lot of people will like the songs.

From my pocket, I take out a copy of a brochure of the theme park from my pocket.

"Hmm…Rode that, finished that, done that…Eh? There's a haunted house attraction?!"

I suddenly stand up, still drinking my drink.

"To the haunted house I go!"

While walking, I spot a family of three. The little girl was walking happily between her dad and mom, holding their hands tightly. The sight reminded me of my own parents; I loved holding their hands as we took our weekly walk around the park near our house back then. I should visit dad and mom when I go visit auntie; they'll be surprised about what I've become now hehe.

After a few minutes, I find an old-looking and semi dirty three story house. My mouth opens in amazement.

"Ohhhh. This haunted house looks so cool! The line's a little long but I don't mind waiting. A long line means it's good! The haunted house must be sound proof since we can't hear anything from the inside; I bet people are screaming their lungs out inside hehehe."

After an hour, I was finally able to get inside the haunted house.

Ohhhhh! This place looks amazing! It's so cold and quiet and dark! The blood on the wall looks so real! Oh! The furniture are moving on their own!

I happily stroll forward and pass thru the creepy looking halls and rooms. One of the rooms I went into had dead babies hung upside down from the ceiling and then there were many empty and dirty cribs in the room; some of them are broken or are turned to its side. The walls were made to look old and the wallpaper was torn as if they were scrapped by a person's hands; the trail of blood they left looks cool.

The next room looked like a Victorian style bedroom. Once I closed the door, the silence inside the room becomes deafening; I can literally just hear my own heart beat and breathing. I decide to walk towards the big bed placed at one corner of the room. The lights suddenly turn off for ten seconds and when the lights came back, a dead body was suddenly standing on the bed, looking at me.

I immediately take out my phone and take a selfie with it; the make up and costume looks amazing!

At the right corner of the room, a full length mirror is placed. I decide to approach it and the moment I was on front of the mirror, the girl who was playing as the dead body at the bed suddenly surprises me from behind and pushes me towards the mirror. The mirror in turn rotates and reveals a hidden door leading to another room.

I fall to the floor from losing my balance. "Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow." I hit the side of my back and it hurts. Man, it'll hurt later when Madoka puts the ointment again.

I get up and look around the room. The place looks like a butchery—there's blood everywhere on the walls and equipment in the room; the tables are bloody too with some meat-looking props on top. There's an examination table at one side and there's a severed arm stuck in one of the straps. The sound of blood dripping down to the tiles of the floor can be heard.

A small television on one of the tables turns on on its own. It shows a black screen with words in white that says, "Hurry and hide."

The words disappear after a minute and the television turns off. A loud creepy moan suddenly echoes in the room and is followed by the sound of chains.

"It sounds like someone is coming into the room. Where should I hide?"

There're tall lockers in the room but I'll be found easily inside them. I can fit under the tables but I'll be easily found too if whoever is coming would lift the table cloth. Hmm…

The loud moaning gets louder and sounds like it's coming from the other side of the door at the left corner; that's where he'll probably come in from.

"Ah! That's a good place to hide in!"

I open the doors of the tall glass cabinet filled with boxes and bottles and quickly take the some of the items out. I get inside and start putting everything back inside too; I stack the boxes and bottles on front of me so that they can cover me.

I finish after a few minutes and I can see the room thru a gap between the boxes. Suddenly, a scary looking man with a giant knife enters the room and his dreadful moan echoes loudly.

Wow. I wish I could take his picture too. His costume is a winner!

I stay quiet and still in the cabinet until he exits the room thru the wall were I came from; he probably went into the bedroom I was in a while ago.

Once I couldn't hear the creepy loud moans anymore, I gently open the cabinet and take out the boxes and bottles that were covering me.

"Yay, I was found! Now let's see where this door leads me to."

I open the door where the scary man came from and it turns out that it leads into a very narrow and dark hallway. I decide to go thru it and another door greets me at the end.

I grab hold of the doorknob.

"What the hell?"

The doorknob won't turn—it's a fake doorknob. I think for a moment and look at the door. There's light underneath so it has to be the way out.

"Hmm…maybe it's something like that door back in Kyoto, the ninja house place."

I grab the doorknob again but this time I try pulling it to the left.

Nothing happens.

"Let's try to the right then."

I try pushing the doorknob to the right and the whole door suddenly slides to the right.

"Knew it! It's a sliding door!"

I go thru the door and find myself back to the main hallway. The sliding door suddenly slides back into place on its own.

"Hm, so the sliding door is a painting from this side. Cool."

While walking further down, I stumble upon a part of the hallway that has hands coming out from its walls. I immediately take a picture of it and a short video clip that records the hands moving around and in and out of the wall.

"This is so cool. This haunted house is so cool."

I go thru the hands that turn out to only stretch out until an inch away from you; they can't touch you. I guess it would be too much for other people if they get touched by these hands; they might really freak out or cry.

As I walk father, the hallway gets narrower and narrower and at the end of the hall—

"Whaaaaaaaaaaa!"

The floor beneath me suddenly opens and I fall into the dark hole.

* * *

*meow*

"Hm? What's up, Nao?"

*meow*

He starts walking towards one of the attractions in the park.

*meeooowwww*

He keeps meowing at the haunted house attraction.

"You think she's in there?"

*mmmmeeeeoooowwwww*

His meowing becomes more aggressive; he sounds mad.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong with you? You're actin' like an angry dog, Nao."

*meeeeeeeooooooooowwwwwww*

"You're acting really strange—Hey! Wait!"

He suddenly runs towards the haunted house and gets inside thru the front entrance.

I run up to the front entrance and one of the staff stops me from getting inside.

"Excuse me sir, you have to fall in line in order to get inside the haunted house."

"I'm not here for the attraction, there's someone I need to talk to and that person is already inside."

"Sir, we can't just let you inside."

"Listen to me, if I don't get the idiot I'm looking for out and back, my head and ass is gonna be served on a silver plate. You hear me?!"

"Y-Yes s-sir! U-Um, you may go ahead but please d-don't cause any t-trouble i-inside!"

"Yeah, yeah."

I quickly get inside, irritated as hell.

"Eika! Nao! Where are you two?!"

Damn it. It's pretty dark inside. What else would I expect from a haunted house? Tch.

"Eika! Nao!"

*…m…eow*

"Nao? That you?" Seems like he's further in.

I further head down the hallway, ignoring all the doors and stuff that come out of nowhere that are meant to scare people. The most annoying part is when the staff dressed up as monsters and ghosts come out to try to surprise me—I just end up hitting them because of reflex.

*me…ow*

"Nao, where are ya? I can hear you but I don't see you."

*meowww*

A familiar voice suddenly speaks. "Ow…Don't touch...my back…Nao…ouch…"

"Eika, that you?! Where are you?!"

*meow*

"Nao? Eika?"

"…N…ao?"

Huh? She sounded like she's coming from underneath the floor.

"Eika, is that you?"

*meooow*

Sounds like I'm directly above Nao. If he's with Eika, then they have to be under the floor. How'd they get underneath?

I look around but there're no buttons or switches or anything in the hall.

"How the hell am I supposed to get—"

"BOOOO!" A staff member dressed up like a mummy or something pops out from the corner of the hall.

Perfect. "Hey you, I need your help over here."

"BOOoooOOOoooOOO!"

"Cut the crap and get over here; you got a customer who needs help. You want me to go to the manager instead?

"U-Uh no need, sir! What is the matter, sir?" The mummy staff guy asks as he comes towards me.

"There's a cat and probably his owner down here. I can't get to them without opening a door or something that leads under the floors."

"Oh my. Why hasn't the person continued walking on then?"

"What do ya mean?"

"When you end up falling because of the trap door, you're supposed to go thru the long hall underneath that leads you to the next area."

*meow*

"Well if the cat's right here then it means she didn't move which means something happened. You better get the door to the floor open."

"Yes, you're right sir. Please give me a minute."

The mummy staff guy takes out a handheld transceiver and talks to another staff member.

"Roger that." He puts away the device into his pocket. "Sir, please step away from this spot over here; this is where the trap door is."

We wait for a few seconds and the trap door suddenly opens.

*meow meow meow*

"Oh my! There is a cat down there!"

"Hey, how deep is this hole?"

"About fifteen feet, if my memory serves right sir. Fear not! There's a safety cushion at the very bottom for every trap door sections of this haunted house, sir."

*meow*

"But since the cat and your friend might be at the bottom of this trap door, we can take the emergency ladder camouflaged here at the side of the hole, sir."

"Let's go."

The mummy guy starts getting down using a ladder painted as black as the hole attached at the side. I didn't notice the ladder at all before he mentioned it.

We climb down the ladder in darkness until we reach the bottom where there's light.

*meeeooow*

We immediately see Nao sitting beside Eika who's lying on the floor facing down.

"Oh my! Ma'am, are you okay?!" The staff guy takes out his transceiver and starts asking for medical assistance.

*meow*

"Hey kid, you okay?" I turn her to the side and pick up the upper half of her body, levelling her.

"Are you alright, ma'am?!"

"…hngh. Am I dead? I can hear the monkey's voice; I must be in hell."

*meow meow*

Nao starts pushing my hands like he's trying to make me let go.

"That…hurts...Put me down…slowly."

The mummy staff guy looks around. "That's odd. There's no safety cushion placed here! That would mean she fell down all the way to the concrete floor! She could have died if she fell badly! What's the meaning of this?! This is unacceptable!" He starts contacting his fellow staff guys thru his transceiver; seems like he's reporting and complaining about the missing safety cushion.

"Kurosaki, take my phone from my pocket…use it to call Madoka."

"Okay but you okay? You seems like you're in a lotta pain."

"I'm alive. Just…hngh…call Madoka using my phone so she…doesn't worry and to come get me."

I do as she says and take her phone from her pocket.

"Kid, what's the password to your phone?"

"Can you bring it close to me?"

I squat down and position her phone near her face. She moves her left arm slowly to her phone and types her passcode; she's a little shakey.

"There, it's unlocked. You can call her now."

"You sure you're really okay?"

"As long as I won't move, I'll be okay."

I start dialling Madoka's number and the moment it rings twice, she answers.

"You! Why have you not been answering my calls?! Where are you?!"

"Chill down a little, Rukawa."

"Kurosaki? What are you doing with Eika's phone?"

"She can't move at the moment."

"What do you mean?"

"Turns out she came all the way here to Carnival World. Nao and I found her here at the haunted house attraction; she fell fifteen feet down to the concrete floor of one of the trap doors. I'm with her now and I got one of the staff with me; we're waiting for help to come in a few minutes."

"Fifteen feet?! How is she?! Is she okay?! Isn't there supposed to be a net or a cushion or something for safety?!"

"Apparently, there wasn't one here at the trap door where Eika fell in. The staff guy has been apologizing over and over again for it and is surprised himself that there isn't one here."

"Sigh. Kumagai and I will go to Carnival World right now. You stay with Eika at all times. Update me on whatever happens."

"Sure. They'll probably take her to a nearby clinic or hospital; I'll keep you posted."

I end the call and get back to Eika.

"Kid, I called her and she's gonna come. She asked me to stay with you and I'll be updating her on whatever happens."

"Okay. Thanks, monkey. Urgh…!"

"Hey, take it easy. It's surprising you're still alive."

"Ha, ha, ha, you wish I wasn't."

"Good thing you didn't fall head first."

"I didn't fall straight down…I noticed the ladder at the side while I was falling…so I quickly tried…grabbing on to it as I fell. I got to grab it somehow but I didn't hold on tight enough…so…I fell again when…I lost my grip. At least I didn't fall down…all the way. Urgh…it really hurts…"

"T-That's amazing ma'am! It's amazing that you noticed the ladder but it's really amazing that you were able to grab hold of the ladder itself! Help is almost here, please endure a little longer. I'm terribly sorry for what happened to you. I assure you that management will take responsibility."

"…Thanks a lot…mister...mummy."

*meow*

Nao starts rubbing his face against Eika's.

"I'm not dead, Nao…Not yet. Stop worrying."

*meow meow meow*

"I said stop worrying. Hehe."

She unsteadily moves her arm to pat Nao's head.

"Tch." I suddenly pick up Nao and move him over to Eika's hand. "The kid just said it hurts to move, right? You gotta be a good cat and move for her."

*meow*

Close to Eika's hand, Nao starts rubbing his head against her hand as I hold him up.

"Hehe. Good boy." Eika says in pain.

"Ma'am, sir, help has arrived!"

A medical team comes in and they check on Eika. Since she kept saying that it hurt to move her body, they placed some braces on her neck and back just in case she broke or fractured any of those parts. They then put her on a stretcher which they carry her back up. We all exit the haunted house thru an emergency exit that leads to the back of the house. We then make our way to the park's clinic where a doctor checks up on Eika.

* * *

I end up on a bed at the clinic. I refused to be put on the bed in a lying down position since it hurts my back more so I asked them to help me sit upright on the bed. I like the pillows they placed for my back; they're so soft and fluffy hehe.

A female doctor enters the room they put me in. She goes over to my bed and spreads the curtains hanging around my bed to close us off from everything and everyone else.

"Please correct me if I am wrong. According to your medical data sent by your manager thru email, you are Nakahara Koemi-san. Born on April 21, Blood type…"

"Yes, all of that info is right doc."

"Now, tell me what happened to you in the haunted house."

"Well, I was happily strolling around and enjoying the place until I ended up walking thru one of the hallways and suddenly the trap door on the floor opens up and I fell. I didn't fall straight down since I was able to grab hold of the ladder at the side but then I lost my grip on it and eventually hit the concrete ground."

"That is quite unusual because there are supposed to be safety cushions there."

"Yeah, everyone's been saying that. Even the staff guy who helped me was surprised that there wasn't one."

"How did you fall? What I mean is if you fell on your back, your side, on your knees, head, and such."

"I fell on my right side."

"Nakahara-san, I will now remove your shirt okay?"

"Please do so slowly and gently."

She removes my shirt and becomes surprised by the sight of my bandages.

"What on earth are these?! What happened to you?"

"I got into a fight with some people on the street."

"Okay. Have you had a check up regarding those previous injuries of yours?"

"Yes, no bones were broken or anything; all I got were bruises and some cuts."

"Are you currently taking any medicines?"

"I have pain killers but I haven't really used them yet. I was also given ointments to put on to ease the pain and to help in recovery."

"Do you have your ointments with you at the moment? I can help you apply them and fix your bandages."

"They're with my manager. The two ointments are only applied twice a day—in the morning and at night; the third one is only for when I'm in pain."

"Since we don't have your ointments, the best I can do is apply something else that is to ease some of the pain and swelling and then fix your bandages. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah."

She removes my bandages and applies a cream that feels cold. She then puts on new bandages on me and helps me put my shirt back on.

"Okay. I'm going to write you a request slip for an x-ray examination; I didn't feel anything off as I examined you while putting on the cream but this is to be on the safe side. Please get one done immediately when your manager comes to pick you up so that we can assess whether you broke or injured anything in your body; we must be sure that you are really okay internally."

"Noted, doc."

"I'll leave you to rest for now. All we can do is to wait for your manager."

She writes down some notes and opens the curtains on my right. She sure left my side quietly; I couldn't even hear if she left the room; I didn't hear the door open or close.

"Sigh. This sucks."

"Seems like it." A voice coming from the other side of the curtain on my left says.

"What the?! Monkey, is that you?"

"Stop calling me a monkey, kid!"

I swipe open the curtain. "Stop calling me kid! What're you doing here anyway?!"

"I told you already, your manager told me to stay with you."

"Wow, such an obedient dog."

"I'm not a dog!"

He angrily puts a plastic bag on my lap.

"What's this?" I ask him.

"It's for you."

I open the plastic bag—I find a drink and a salmon onigiri inside.

"So the angry dog can be nice too once in a while."

"I said stop calling me a d—"

"Thanks, Kurosaki."

I open the bottle of green tea and drink it happily.

"How'd you know I like this?"

"Uh what was that show again? UtaOn?"

"You watched the interview?"

"We were at Reiji's place and Ai and the count decided to watch the show."

"You guys were having a party or something?"

"We were practicing over at Reiji's."

"But it's kinda funny. This is my favorite brand of tea."

*meow*

"He told me to buy it." He points to his shoulder where Nao clings on to.

"No wonder! Nao!"

*meow*

He hops into my arms and I give him a tight hug.

"That little guy is the one who found ya; I've been following him around all day. How'd you teach him to use the subway? That surprised the hell outta me."

"That's a secret."

*meow*

I happily pat Nao's head.

"Uh, I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I heard you got some nasty bruises there. What happened to ya? You've been mixed in trouble again?"

"What do you by 'again'?"

"Just thought you might be a troublemaker. Heh."

"Well, that not exactly right. It's more like trouble keeps following me everywhere!"

*meow*

"So what happened?"

"I'll tell ya if you promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Don't tell Madoka about it."

"Why?"

"I'll tell ya the truth in exchange for helping me. The version I told Madoka was only half true."

"You sure about trusting me? What if I rat you out to your manager?"

"You could do that and expect me goin' after you but I trust you because Nao trusts you; he doesn't just trust people out of the blue and he's never been wrong."

"And I've never gone back on my words. I won't tell Rukawa."

"Thanks, grouchy shiba inu."

"Shiba inu?! What the hell, man?!"

"You remind me of a grouchy shiba inu back in my old neighborhood when I was a kid."

*meoooow*

"Anyway, where do I start? I went visit an old couple; they were the parents of my best friend who—"

"Who died of cancer, right? Junko told me about it when you left her room to go to the children back at the hospital. About that, sorry for asking about her when we were at the train; I didn't know or maybe it slipped my mind that this Yasuko person was the same person that Junko was tellin' me about."

"It's okay."

*meowww*

Nao rubs himself against my arms and then lies down in a curl.

"Back to your story."

"Oh right. So the thing is back when Yasuko was hospitalized for a long time until she died, her parents were short in money and ended up borrowing money from a group of yakuza. When Yasuko died, they used the left over money for her funeral and then they started saving the money they were earning from work to pay off the yakuza. Technically they were capable of paying back the amount they borrowed but the interest was making things hard for them so I helped them out paying off their debt by taking up some part time jobs and doing more gigs at that time; they covered the basic amount while I helped in covering the amount that came from the interest. I also had a hard time because the interest was really high; it came to the point I had to skip meals sometimes haha. In the end, we were able to pay the whole amount back with the interest."

"So things didn't end smoothly?"

"Things did end smoothly! But the yakuza got greedy and started coming back to ask for more money; they start claiming that there was an error in computation or in accounting meaning that the couple didn't pay off everything. Of course it was a lie; I knew from the bottom of my guts that they were making stuff up. So I ended up fighting them when they went to harass the old couple."

"Hold up! You tellin' me you picked a fight with the yakuza?! Are you crazy?!"

"If I didn't then they could have harmed or killed the couple! There's no way that I'd let Yasuko's parents get harmed or killed! I didn't fight them alone though. I had help back then."

"From?"

"I can't tell you that yet."

"Alright then."

"So we were able to fight them off and things were peaceful from then on but then when I went to visit the couple just recently, turns out that the yakuza thugs were at it again and coincidentally the day I went for a visit was when they came over to the couple's house to threaten them again."

"So you ended up fighting them again?"

"Yup! But lucky enough, it wasn't the whole group so I lived. If the whole group was there, I'm not really sure if I would have been able to hold out; I was just lucky that the old couple were able to call the police."

"You're a nut job! You should have just called the cops from the start!"

"Hey, hey, like I said, they were a small group at first! How would I know that they had back up coming?!"

"Look, you shouldn't be messin' with the yakuza! They're just scum that don't care about people's lives; I should know."

"You have experience with the yakuza too?"

*meooooowww!*

Nao suddenly gets up and starts becoming aggressive.

"Whoa! What's wrong with you, Nao?! Hey! Calm down!"

*mmmeeeeooooooowwwwwww!*

He continuously becomes aggressive. He suddenly rushes over to the window and jumps out.

"Hey! Nao!"

Kurosaki goes after him towards the window but he loses sight of Nao the moment he got out the window.

"What's with him? He was acting like that too when we passed by the haunted house." Kurosaki keeps looking around outside the window.

"That's strange. He'll come back; I'm sure he'll come back on his own so let him be for now."

"Do you know why he's acting like that?"

"I have no idea. I don't remember him being like that before. Just give him some time."

Kurosaki looks around outside the window one last time before coming back to the side of the bed. I open the salmon onigiri and start eating it.

"Kid."

"What?" I look up at him with my mouth full.

He suddenly puts his hand on my head. "Get well soon so we can start working already."

I quickly swallow the food in my mouth. "What's up with you?!"

"I thought about the things you said this morning. I love rock music more than anything; it's my way of life. I'm not that happy having you as a partner either but you were right; I shouldn't let such a petty thing like that get in the way of my passion."

"That's the spirit."

I put up my fist and offer it to him. A small smile forms on his face as he taps my fist with his.

"You better not slack off, kid."

"Same to you…shiba inu." I laugh as my last two words leave my mouth.

"Would you cut that out?!"

"Not unless you cut out that 'kid' for me first."

"Annoying kid."

"Obedient shiba inu." I say in a happy teasing tone.

"Troublemaker."

"Banana brain."

"Shorty."

"What—That's over the line! I'm not that short!"

"You're shorter than me so I can definitely call ya shorty."

"Grrr. I'm gonna dye your hair pink one day!"

"That's insane! Don't you dare do that crazy idea!"

"Your silver haired days are numbered!"

"No kidding!"

"I'm pretty good at dying hair; I dye my own hair you know."

"Hell no. Don't come near me."

"Hehe. You better be careful when you sleep at night. You might get a visit from the hair dying fairy!"

"An idiot fiary!"

"An idiot fairy visiting an idiotic dog."

"Two idiots, huh."

We both smile and end up laughing a little.


	12. Chapter 11: Too Far, Long Gone

**Author's Note:** I'm so sorry for not updating lately! I have gotten busy in university especially now that I am currently working on my thesis. When my summer vacation came, I mostly slept as I barely had any sleep at all during the last term. Summer vacation ended for me three days ago and today is my second day of school [sigh, back to suffering]. Anyway, I was able to type more than three chapters during my free time so ta-dah~

My updates will take longer because of school so please do your best to be patient and I'll do my best in school and to write more! Sankyuu~

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Too Far, Long Gone**

"And now for today's entertainment news. Just after releasing her new album called 'Go Crazy', Shining Entertainment's Eika has skyrocketed to the top place in the Oricon charts! Today is the third day of its release and it has sold over two million copies nationwide! I heard that she has fans overseas as well who order her album online or in S-tunes. I wonder how many overseas fans does Eika have?"

Madoka changes the channel and it shows the commercial for my album. She goes on to the next channel and sees the recording of a preview of the music video for my album. The next channel she switches to talks about me and my album too.

To be honest, I'm getting tired of hearing my songs everywhere and seeing my face on television and on billboards all the time; it's kinda creepy.

"Looks like your album was a huge success, Koemi. Congratulations." Madoka says as she turns off the television.

*meow*

"Does that mean…!"

"Yes, as promised, I will treat you to wherever you want to eat. So where do you want to go?"

"Ah! Wait! Let me think for a moment! Since it's almost afternoon, we'll have to go eat somewhere heavy since it's practically for lunch."

I think and think and think…but I still can't remember the restaurant's name! I take out my cell phone and quickly dial a number.

"…Hello?"

"Kurosaki!"

"What do you want?"

"Madoka's gonna treat me today for lunch and she said I could eat anywhere I want."

"So what did ya call me for?!"

"I can't remember the name of that place you took me to before. The one with good meat."

"…Ah, that place. It's called…"

I listen to Kurosaki as he tells me the place and the directions to get there. He finishes after some minutes.

"You got all that, kid?"

"…Nope. I forgot all the things you said already. Haha."

"What?! What the hell is that?"

"Hey, hey, come with us instead!"

"Eh?"

"I won't remember the name of the place or the directions anyway even if you tell me all those details again so come with us!"

"…"

"It's Madoka's treat so we can order anything we want."

"…Okay, I'm coming. Do I meet you two at the lobby?"

"Yup! Meet us at the lobby in about fifteen minutes."

"Alright, bye."

"Bye."

I end the call and notice that Madoka is staring at me.

"What's up?" I ask.

She continues to stare at me.

"…Hello?"

She continues to stare at me.

"…Madoka, you're creeping me out. Did you finally get broken?"

She continues to stare at me.

"…Earth to Madoka?"

"Why did you do that?"

"Eh? Do what? Did I do something wrong?"

"Why did you call Kurosaki?"

"Because I couldn't remember the restaurant."

"Why didn't you just ask the details?"

"I did but he was saying a lot of stuff so I couldn't remember them all so I thought might as well just bring him with us."

"Is that so?"

"What? I'm not in the mood to remember all those directions at all; besides I don't master that part of the city. Anyway, I'll go take a quick shower and dress up. I can't wait to eat! Will you be showering too, Madoka?"

"I already did after I woke up this morning. You go on ahead."

"Okay."

*meow*

"Wha! Are you going to follow me into the bathroom again?! I told you that you can't!"

*meow*

Nao keeps going thru my feet as I walk. I knew that this was going to happen again so I came prepared!

I reach into my pocket and take out a cat treat. Nao suddenly stops walking and sits upright; I can see his eyes glowing as I waves the treat in the air.

"You want this, right? Isn't that right, Nao? You want this delicious treat, yes?"

*meoooowww* His tail waves left and right joyfully.

I wave it around a little and then throw it towards the other end of the room. Nao jumps for it and goes after it in a blink of an eye. I quickly get inside the bathroom and lock the door.

"Mission accomplished! Hehe!"

* * *

Hmm it's nice to see that Kurosaki and Koemi are getting along now especially since they'll be working together for some time but what's this uneasy feeling? I hope my guts are wrong this time. Sigh. I don't want to end up like Kumagai; it's too exhausting to keep secrets from Saotome. Kumagai was definitely very lucky that Mikaze and Yamashita were able to obtain Saotome's approval and blessing in the end. If they had failed, things would have been really ugly—chaotic.

I drink a cup of coffee as I wait for Koemi to get ready. Feeling bored, I decide to open the television.

 _"Today's hot gossip topic is—Actress Shinogawa! Rumor has it that she's dating X Agency's star actor, Hisofumi! A reporter of ours captured this photo of the two at last week's festival. Could they really be seeing each other? Our reporters have foun—"_

I immediately switch the channel.

 _"Welcome back to Flaming Talk! The entertainment talk show that feeds the burning flames of gossip and truth! So Goujo-san, is it true that you're currently dating someone?! We all thought that you were going out with your fellow co-star in your current drama serie—"_

I swiftly changed the channel once more.

 _"Yes! I admit it! I'm currently taken already! I'm dating someone who is not in the entertainment industry; someone I've been with for the past year. Even though dating isn't allowed in my agency due to intensive work schedules and to keep out image of—"_

Fed up with the channels, I turn off the television. I put my hands together with my elbows on the table and rest my head upon my hands.

"Everything is going to be okay, Madoka. You yourself know that it's not possible. They're just getting along because of work and they don't really have much in common either. They only both like food and rock music and they like cats and that they're the type to live on their own pace and they're just going to be friendly with one another since they'll be together as a unit and so it would be natural that they would be in each other's company often and it's just a coincidence that they live here in the same apartment building…"

I silence myself after thinking ahead into the possible future.

"Hey Madoka, what's with the scary face?"

"Hm…? Nothing, I was just thinking for a moment…WOULD YOU GO PUT SOME CLOTHES ON! STOP COMING OUT OF THE BATHROOM NAKED! I DON'T WANT YOU GETTING USED TO SUCH BEHAVIOR! WHAT IF SOMEONE SUDDENLY CAME BY TO VISIT?! WE'D BE IN SUCH A TROUBLESOME SITUATION!"

"Alright, alright already. I'm gonna go get changed."

*meow*

"Sorry I tricked you, Nao. It was the only way I could prevent you from coming in the bathroom with me."

*meow*

"As a prize, you can come with me to get changed. Help me pick out some clothes and I'll give you another treat in exchange! What do ya say?"

*meow*

The cat follows Koemi into her room and I'm left alone in the living room.

"Urgh. I should stop thinking and just get the car ready!"

I take my bag and car keys aggressively and head for the door.

"Koemi! I'm going to go get the car ready. I'll wait for you and Kurosaki with the car out front."

"Okay!" She shouts from her room.

I close the door and head for the elevator. Along the hallway, I see a man leaning against the wall, listening to some music from his phone.

Eh? Is that Kurosaki?

"Hey. Kurosaki, is that you?"

The man adjusts his hat to face a little higher and removes his earphones. "Mornin', Rukawa."

"Good morning to you too. I'm on my way to get the car ready."

"Alright."

"You're going to wait for Ko—I mean Eika or do you want to wait in the car?"

"I'll just wait for the kid. She's gonna return a CD of mine so I'll have to go back upstairs before going to the car."

"Suit yourself. The car will be waiting at the front of the apartment. I'll be waiting for you two."

"Alright."

"By the way, isn't it a bother to you that you're coming with us without proper notice?"

"Not really. I've got no work or plans for the day so it's all good; plus she said it's your treat."

"I see. How's your progress with creating songs for you and Eika's unit?"

"Surprising enough, we're doing pretty well. We just need one more song for the first single then we'll start making songs for the second single so we don't have to cram. Saotome is such a pain in the ass."

"Good luck to you both then. Work hard as always."

He nods and puts his earphones back on as I continue heading for the elevator.

* * *

*meow*

"Ack! Careful, Nao! It's not my fault if I step on you or on your tail if you keep walking between my feet!"

*meow*

"I'll bring you back some food later. Be good and guard the house as always, okay? See ya."

I pat his head several times before closing the apartment door.

As I walk thru the hallway, I see Kurosaki leaning by the wall as he listens to music from his phone.

What's he so absorbed with? What's he listening to? Hmm…He's not paying attention to his surroundings. I'm gonna scare him hehe!

Slowly and quietly, I creep to his side and with all my breath, I suddenly shout at him.

"WHRAAHHHHH!"

"WHAT THE FREAKIN' HELL—!" He falls to the ground in shock.

"I got you! You should have seen your face! It was the best! Hahahahahahaha!" I hold my stomach from the pain of laughing so much.

"You really are a crazy kid! You got damn loose screws in your head!"

"Well, I am pretty sure about that haha." I say sarcastically.

"Damn you." He scratches his head in irritation and sighs. "You're lucky I didn't hit you! Shit!"

"Get over it. Time to get going; Madoka probably has the car at the front already."

I extend my hand to him but he just looks at me with a mad expression. I smile wryly back at him.

"I don't need your help, crazy kid."

"I'm sorry already. Sheesh, lighten up. Food doesn't taste good if you frown, ya know."

Even though he didn't accept my help, I take hold of his arm and help him up anyway. As he stood up, he didn't notice that the wires of his earphones were tangled up and so they got unplugged from his phone and the music he was listening to starts to play from his phone loudly.

"Eh? Wait a minute, that's a song from my new album."

Once he got to stand on his feet, he picks up his earphones from the floor and cleans himself a little without a word.

"You bought a copy of my album? So how is it? What do you think?" I ask enthusiastically.

"Tch."

"Well?"

He looks at me with an irritated expression and says nothing.

"Well?" I continue to insist getting an answer from him.

"…Tch…It's not bad. It's pretty good."

A big smile forms on my face. "That's a point for me!"

"Whatever. Let's go."

"Hey, to be fair, I liked the last single you released. It was good."

He groans to me as a response. He's such a weird monkey; I can't tell if he's flattered or what.

"Ah, here's your CD. I liked this one a lot! You got more from this artist, Kurosaki?"

"I think so. I'll check when we get back. You go on ahead; I'll just put back this CD in my place."

"Okay. Don't take too long!"

"Only an idiot would take long to put back a CD."

"Exactly." I say playfully.

"You tryin' to tell me something, kid?"

"Ahaha." I just smile at him.

He sighs. "Why am I even going with this idiot."

"Free food. Everyone can't resist free food."

He decides to use the stairs to get to his place; he's just two floors up. I take the elevator going down but before going to Madoka, I decide to check my mailbox at the lobby. I use my copy of the mailbox key and open the mailbox.

There's a letter inside. Who could have sent it? I have no pen pals or anything—What?

As I take the letter, I suddenly freeze—the letter is wet. I drop the letter and immediately wipe my hand with my handkerchief.

"What the hell? It didn't rain so why is it wet? Feels weird…smells weird too."

After wiping my hand, I use my handkerchief to pick up the letter. I take it with me on the way to the car.

"Where's Kurosaki, Koemi?"

"He's probably still on the way down. He went back to his place to put away the CD I borrowed from him. Hey Madoka, I found this in the mailbox. I dunno if it's for me; it has no name or anything on the envelope."

I hand the letter over to her with my handkerchief.

"Why are you holding the letter like that?"

"When I got it from the mailbox, it was wet. But it didn't rain today or yesterday, right?"

Madoka then suddenly takes it from me and gives me a hand sanitizer.

"Please thoroughly clean your hands!" she says sternly.

"…O-Okay. No need to be so angry though."

She then steps out of the car with the letter and my handkerchief and goes into the apartment's lobby. What's up with her? Maybe it's a letter from her ex? Did she even ever have a boyfriend though? Maybe it's a letter from loan sharks? I don't think she's the kind to have debts especially with her salary…Urgh. Oh well. It's none of my business anyway.

* * *

"I need to know who put this in our mailbox! I need to see the security footage immediately!"

"But Ma'am, I just can't let you view the security footage without a letter or permit from—"

"This is an important matter! I work for Shining Agency and the person who lives at this apartment room is a talent from the agency! You see this?! You want to know what's wrong with this?! Touch it and smell it yourself! This is a clear sign of a security issue! Are you listening to me?!

"Ma'am, please calm down. Let's talk about this c-calmly!"

"Hn?" I remove one of my earphones. "Rukawa? What're you doin' here? I thought you were in the car."

She turns her head and her expression is quite scary.

"Whoa! You look like you're ready to kill!"

She takes a deep breath and her expression gradually becomes calmer and calmer. "Sorry about that; I could not contain myself. You go on ahead to the car, Kurosaki. I just need to take care of something."

I look at what she's holding and it's a letter. Somehow looking at it gives me a bad feeling.

"Go on, Kurosaki. Eika is in the car already. This will just take a few minutes."

"Okay. See ya at the car." I put back my earphone on and make my way to the car.

The silver car; I think that's the one if I remember right. The moment I got closer to the car, the passenger seat's window goes down.

"You finally got here, monkey."

"Urgh. Annoying kid."

I get inside at the back seat.

"Where's Madoka?"

"At the lobby. She's talking to one of the guards at the desk."

"Why?

"Dunno. I didn't hear what they were talking about 'cause I had my earphones on."

"Ohhhh so you were busy listening to my music hehe."

"Hmph." He crosses his arms and looks outside the window with a grumpy face.

"Hey Kurosaki."

"What—?"

She suddenly hands over some papers to me, hitting my face. I remove my earphones and take the papers.

"What're these?"

"It's the last song for our first single; I finished it last night. The last two papers are drafts for another song for the second single."

"That was fast. We just edited the first song a few nights ago."

"I couldn't sleep last night so I spent time in my work room. Next thing I knew, I was done with the last song and started doing a few melodies for another song."

"We can try these out when we get back. Might have to change some words on this one."

"Sure. Your place or my place?"

"Whichever as long we got instruments with us."

"Hmm let's do it at my place this time. I'm lazy to go up to your place later."

I give her back the music sheets and she puts them in her bag.

"I'm back." Rukawa says as she gets inside the car. "Something important came up so I had to take care of it." She puts on her seatbelt. "So which way do we go, Kurosaki?"

I tell her the directions and details and unlike the kid, Rukawa remembers everything.

"Alright. Let's go eat some good food."

She steps on the gas and swiftly drives away.

* * *

"Whaaaa! The meat tastes so good! Madoka, can we order another plate of this?!"

"Finish whatever you've ordered already first, Eika! It will be a waste if you just keep ordering without finishing them!"

"Okay!"

"Since we dragged you all the way here without notice, feel free to order whatever you like too Kurosaki."

"Sure, sure. I got ya."

"How did you find a good place like this? It's quite hidden."

"I used to work part-time here when I needed more money."

"Oh? You worked here before? Was it before you became an idol for Shining Agency?"

"Yeah. It was when I was doing gigs; I'd be working here in the day and then doing gigs at night. I had other day jobs but I mostly worked here."

"Um, excuse me." A waitress shyly says. "Are you perhaps Eika-san?"

I nod at her with a smile. "Yes, I am. Are you a fan of mine?"

"Yes! I have been your fan ever since before you were even taken in by Shining Entertainment! I've watched your gigs in the places you used to play in."

"Oh really?! I'm happy to hear that; I really appreciate it. Thanks for your support!"

"M-May I have your autograph and a picture too?"

"Sure! I'd gladly do so!"

She hands me her pen and a small notebook. I happily sign it and give it back to her.

"Wha! Thank you very much!"

"You want a photo too, right? Here, sit beside me and give me your phone."

I position her phone at a good angle.

"Alright! Smile for the camera. 1…2…3…!"

I give her back her phone and notice her smile. She's genuinely a fan of mine; I'm happy that I could make her day today.

"Thank you very much, Eika-san! Really! Thank you! Please have a nice day and and be healthy always and and um I-I look forward to your future works!"

I pat her head. "Thank you too for everything. An artist wouldn't be anyone or anything if there's no audience. You stay safe and healthy too, 'kay?"

She nods happily.

"Oh and please keep it down. I wouldn't want to be attacked while having lunch, okay? Hehe."

"Y-Yes! Thank you again!"

"Aww wasn't she cute, Madoka? My fans are such cute and nice people." I say as I take a bite of my food.

"Your fans are but you ain't." Kurosaki says.

"Rotten monkey…" I take my fork and forcefully stab it into one of the big slices of meat on his plate.

"Hey!"

I smirk and take the piece of meat and shove it into my mouth.

"What—That was the best part!"

I savour the meat in my mouth and the moment I swallow it, I smile at him.

"You little devil…"

"Did you say something, monkey?" I raise my fork.

He takes his plate and moves it farther from me.

"Hey you two, don't start fighting or something here. Be civil or else I'm not letting you guys order more."

"Yes, ma'am." Kurosaki and I say in unison.

"Madoka, Kurosaki will be coming over to our place when we get back; we're gonna work on our song for our single."

"At our place? Hmm, wouldn't it be a little cramped? Do you two want to work in a studio? I can reserve one right now; today's not a busy day so I'm sure there will be some rooms available for practice."

"You can?! That would be great! What do you think, monkey?"

"We'll definitely get more work done in a studio—Did you just call me a monkey again?"

"Okay, I'll reserve one right now."

Madoka uses her phone as I protect my meat from the angry monkey master—Kurosaki.

"The reservation was successful. The two of you can use a studio near the agency for as long as you both need; they don't have many clients today so they said it was okay."

"Thanks, Madoka!"

"Yes, yes, now stop trying to steal each other's food; there's plenty to go around and we can always order more."

"Madoka, Madoka, can we have some cake after this?"

"No."

"E-Eh?! Why not?!"

"You just had cake yesterday."

"But…"

"No is a no."

"Pfftt…"

"Grrr. What are you laughing at, monkey butt?!"

"Hahaha. You really do act like a kid!"

"I hate you."

He continues to laugh at me. Come to think of it, this is the first time I've seen and heard him laugh like this; he seems so carefree. He'd be more likeable if he'd smile and laugh more often; I still wonder how he got along with the children in the hospital. Speaking of them, I should visit them next weekend. I've been busy lately that I keep missing my shift. Kurosaki has been missing his shift too since QN (Quartet Night) has been busier too.

Sigh. I'll think about everything else when I'm done eating. Food tastes better when you eat with little worries and a calmer mind.

* * *

"Dun, dun, dun. See? This part's a little off." Kurosaki says as he points at the music sheet on front of us.

"Ah. I didn't notice that part needed tweaking. How should we change it? Like this?"

"That can work but feels like it lacks. It doesn't have enough impact as this part here. They gotta be the same to keep the energy. We can't bring the energy or the beat down after the intro since we made it mellow as a trick."

"Hmm then maybe we do it like this?" I play some strong chords one after the other. "What do you think? It'll match the drums and the bass. Plus it can ride with the melody of the trumpets in the intro and the other parts."

"That sounds good. Let's go with that and change it up a little later if it still doesn't fit."

"Oh hey, since we changed this part, the lyrics for that melody here fit better."

"Un. Yeah."

"Let's put another surprise here at this part. Like let's make it go mellow again then blast up the beat here so that the chorus would have a good impact and people will get moved to sing the chorus here."

"I like that. Let's go with that. Change this so the transition will be smoother."

"Alright. Let's check if the song's good."

"Hm? Where you goin'?"

I pick up the drumsticks and position myself at the drums. "Preparing. We'd get more of the feel and sound of the song if we have the drums, right? You can play the guitar or the bass; choose whatever you want."

"Hold up, you can play the drums?"

"Well yeah. I mentioned about this in an interview before; I think you watched the interview on television. I can play the guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, and trumpet. The musicians that got assigned to us aren't here so we can't have all the instruments playing but having the guitar or bass and the drums will be enough to get a good taste of the song."

"Heh. Alright, I'll play the guitar."

"Ready?"

"Ready when you are, kid."

I tap the drumsticks against one another three times as a signal for when the song will start.

 ** _I don't care! There's no time to think about being enough_**

 ** _I'll just go out there and do what I really love!_**

 ** _I don't know! Doesn't matter where I'm gonna end up in the end and_**

 ** _I'll just keep going till I'm burned out_**

 ** _I'll let myself be burned alive_**

 ** _If you wanna come and have me you've gotta learn how to fly_**

 ** _Or else you've gotta be prepared to be left behind_**

 ** _I sold my soul to the devil and the angels combined now_**

 ** _My hunger ain't gonna be satisfied_**

 ** _I'm too far long gone now_**

 ** _No one can catch me now wherever whenever_**

 ** _Heaven can't keep me and neither can hell_**

 ** _Ever love me and chain me down down down_**

 ** _High up sky or deep blue sea so far gone in ecstasy_**

 ** _Love me, kiss me, touch me—now they're unreachable dreams_**

 ** _At the top I'll mock you loud_**

 ** _Miss me? Come get me_**

 ** _A bittersweet reality_**

 ** _I'm too far long gone now_**

 ** _Goodbye to me_**

"You guys produced a really good song. What's the title?" Madoka asks as she sips her coffee at a table at one end of the rehearsal room.

"It's called 'Too Far Long Gone'. It's actually the first song for our first single. We finished the secondary song first by coincidence; we wanted to make this song really good."

"We did a pretty good job, kid."

"I think so too." I flash a peace sign at him. "I bet it's gonna be so great if the band was complete; can't wait to record the song and perform it live."

"You guys still have some time to use this room. Might as well practice till you drop or start working on another song or maybe practice your skills with the instruments. Unless you two want to go home already?"

"I'm gonna stay. This rehearsal room is way bigger than my work room so I'm gonna savour it. What about you, Kurosaki?"

"Since you two are gonna stay, then I'll stay. It'll be a hassle for Rukawa to take me back to the apartment and then come back for you."

"You sure? You got nothin' for tomorrow? Don't need to rest or something? I mean I did drag you out with Madoka and I so if you wanna go home, I'm cool with it."

"Nah, just do your thing and I'll do mine."

He starts strumming the guitar he was holding. I don't know what song he's playing but it sounds nice. Maybe he wrote it.

I take one of the other guitars in the rehearsal room and sit somewhere in the room. I place on front of me a pencil and a piece of paper before strumming.

Things become quieter in the rehearsal room over time. You can only hear the guitars that Kurosaki and I are using echoing in the room.

Two melodies mixing together unintentionally.

It's wonderful how music can just…

Flow and drift…

"Hngh…n."

"And finally she falls." Madoka says. "She lasted longer than I thought this time." She puts down her mug on the table and takes her car keys from her bag.

Koemi falls asleep with her strumming hand lifelessly lying on the floor, holding her green guitar pick firmly. The guitar she used leans against her as her other arm wraps itself around it to prevent it from falling. Her body stays still just like a statue sitting upright on the floor; it's a wonder she's not losing her balance.

"I guess she'll be waking up in the afternoon tomorrow; she's quite in deep sleep." Madoka sighs.

"What? Is that normal?"

"Well one thing I learned about her in the first month I stayed with her is that if she works really hard and falls asleep out of nowhere, it means she exhausted herself and to compensate, she sleeps for more than twelve hours."

"That ain't normal. No way."

"I'm not lying; she really will wake up tomorrow in the afternoon. Worst case scenario is that she'll wake up in the evening. I hope not because that means she won't be able to sleep until the next day since she's recharged."

Madoka takes the guitar from Koemi and puts it away.

"Now up we go." She takes Koemi's arm and puts it over her shoulders. She takes hold of Koemi's waist and carries her up until they both stand.

"Oi, you need help?" Ranmaru asks as he stands up from the floor.

"No need, I can carry her just fine. I may not look like it but I'm a master of different martial arts; I'm quite strong for your information so carrying her like this is a piece of cake."

"That's…an unusual trait for a manager and pretty scary."

"Really? Most managers nowadays know at least how to fight. Fans get crazier and crazier each year; we have to be prepared for anything. Oh, could you bring my bag?"

"Okay, sure."

"Thank you. I forgot about it after getting my keys."

The three make their way to Madoka's car.

"Hm?"

Madoka suddenly stops walking a distance from the car.

"Kurosaki, could you take Eika for me and go back inside. Please wait for me at the lobby."

"Eh? Why?"

"Just listen to me and do it quickly. Go."

"Okay…?"

Madoka waits for Ranmaru to get back inside with Koemi with him. The moment the doors close, she turns around and aggressively approaches her car.

There, by the back window of the car, a man wearing a dark green coat was peeking thru the car's window. He wasn't noticeable right away as it was dark.

Slowly and surely, Madoka approaches the man. He seems to be absorbed in looking inside the car; Madoka takes advantage of this and gets near him without getting noticed.

"And who are you?!" She says loudly at the moment she gets behind him.

"Argh!"

Madoka twists his arm and flips him down to the cold asphalt. She stays on top of him, holding his arm in a twisted position, rendering him immobile in pain.

"Tell me, who are you?! What were you doing by the car?! Answer if you don't want me to break your arm!"

"Arghhhh! D-Don't! P-Please d-don't hurt me!"

"Who are you?! Tell me what your name is and what your intentions are!"

"Arghhh! That hurts! Please, let me go!"

"Answer my questions or else I'm going to break your arm!"

"I'll talk! I'll talk! Just please stop hurting me!"

Madoka loosens her grip on him but still locks his arm so that he wouldn't be able to escape.

"So?" Her voice was as cold as ice…perhaps even colder.

"I-I was just passing by when I noticed that something was moving inside this car so I decided to take a peek and see what was inside. I was thinking that it could have been a dog or a cat that got locked up inside but when I looked thru the window, there wasn't anything or anyone inside and that was when you suddenly appeared behind me and this happened."

"Are you telling me the truth?"

"Y-Yes! I have no reason to lie! I am a good person! I swear! You can even look up my background if you have to! I have my ID in my wallet if you want to see it! Please don't hurt me!"

The man starts to cry out of fear and this convinces Madoka that he was telling the truth.

She releases his arm. "Did you see anyone else nearby when you noticed something that caught your attention in this car?"

"N-No, no one else was around for what I know. I didn't n-notice anyone else around."

"Okay. You're free to go so please leave now. Immediately."

"Y-Yes, ma'am!"

The man immediately runs away. He trips once but quickly gets back up and continues to run without looking back at Madoka.

She unlocks the car and opens all of the doors. Thoroughly and carefully, she starts to inspect every corner and part of the car—inside and outside.

"Damn it."

Those were the words she utters as the result of her inspection of the car ended up being disappointing. She finds small gifts at the back of the car and at the back seat. When she opens them, distasteful items were found inside; she immediately disposed of them after documentation. She also finds small cameras inserted by the doors and in unthinkable tiny areas. Almost instantaneously, she pulls out all of the small hidden cameras and places them inside a plastic bag; she then stores them at the back compartment of the car.

Feeling uneasy, she inspects the car one last time before getting Koemi and Ranmaru.

* * *

I put down Eika on one of the benches in the lobby and sit beside her.

"Hey kid, you really knocked out?"

"…"

No matter how loud I talk to her or how loud I shout at her, she really won't wake up. I guess what Rukawa said is really true.

"Working hard and getting lots of jobs ain't bad but if you keep biting off more than you can chew, then you're gonna have a huge problem that'll ruin ya. I should know; I've been there."

"…"

"Sigh. What's the point of talking to someone who's not listening; you're asleep after all."

At least she doesn't snore or drool when asleep.

"How long is Rukawa gonna take? I still got work to do when I get back and I'll have to get up early tomorrow for practice; Reiji will bother me if I'm late again. That guy is a real handful. If you meet him, you'll just get tired of his silliness; he's way too cheerful and active. Then there's the sweet tooth count—Camus; he's REALLY annoying! He thinks rock isn't music! Swear, it's only Ai who's reliable in the group most of the time."

"…"

I stretch my neck backwards and stare at the ceiling.

What the hell am I doing? Talking to a dead log…this isn't like me. I'm more talkative than usual; I must be tired. Sigh.

Bored of waiting, I start humming. Since I've been listening to her new album, her songs were the first to come to my mind as I hum. Hate to admit it but her songs aren't bad.

"Hnngh…"

She suddenly turns in her sleep, causing her to fall to her right side.

"Crap!"

I immediately try to catch her and I was able to just before her head hits the floor.

"You son of a—! You gave me a heart attack! We'd be in huge trouble if you got hurt! You're gonna get me killed! Urghhhhh!"

I decide to stand to relieve myself of the panic and lay her down on the bench.

"Damn it! I feel like I lost five years of my life from that! How am I gonna sleep when I get home after that shock?! Arghhh!"

"And what are you getting so worked up about there, Kurosaki?"

"Wha! What's freakin' wrong with you, Rukawa?! You don't just suddenly appear outta nowhere! You're gonna kill people from a heart attack that way!"

"It's not my fault that you weren't paying attention and instead was in some kind of overly dramatic monologue of some sort. Pull yourself together; it's time to go home."

"Yes, ma'am. Sigh…"

I take her bag as she gets the kid.

"So what was the hold up for?"

"Nothing you need to worry about."

I scratch my head at her comment. My guts tell me she's lying but there's no way I could really know. Might as well just leave it alone and just get on home. Sigh.

"Kurosaki, you have both Eika's and my contact info correct?"

"Yup."

"Okay, just make sure you don't give them to people without our permission first."

"Of course, I wouldn't just give anyone's number to other people."

I help her out in putting Eika at the backseat. When I sat down, somehow it felt different; I dunno exactly but it felt like something changed or something? Or maybe Rukawa just cleaned the inside of the car for a bit?

"Seatbelts."

"Ready to go"

Rukawa takes a deep breath. "Alright, time to go home."

She changes gear and smoothly drives away.

I only noticed this now but Rukawa doesn't play music in her car; it's always quiet or maybe she does that so that talking with people would be easier. If Reiji was driving, he'd be playing some music while talking to everyone.

"Hmm…hngh…"

I jump at the sound Eika makes and irritatedly sigh in relief.

At least she's wearing a seatbelt so I have nothing to worry about this time. Why do I have to worry anyway?! I should just mind my own business next time; getting involved with others is always a pain in the ass especially if it's a woman. Hmph.

"Kurosaki, take it easy. Your face is making a lot of weird expressions; it's too obvious that you're troubled with expressions like that. It's quite distracting to look at especially if when I look at the rear view mirror. Think of some happy thoughts perhaps like food or animals or Carnival World or music or cats or something."

"You tryin' to be a shrink now? Thinking of a career change?"

"Haha. Of course not; I'm happy working as a manager."

She makes a sharp turn at one corner and the next thing I know, we were already back at the apartment building.

"You need any help with getting her up to your place?" I ask as I get outta car.

"Not really and aren't you itching to get back to your room and sleep? You have dance practice with Quartet Night tomorrow, don't you? Your practices usually take up the morning till late afternoon or evening at times. Won't you need energy for such a long practice?"

"It's okay. I can spare some minutes to help ya; she's kind of heavy."

"She eats a lot."

"I can kinda tell."

"I'm just thankful she isn't a sickly type of person. That would just make things more troublesome."

Rukawa gets Eika out of the car. I decide to carry the kid this time since she's been carrying her the whole time; I bet she's tired too.

* * *

"Just put her down by the kotatsu. I'll have to prepare her futon."

"You two live here? It's a good thing you both fit inside."

"I myself am amazed as well that we've been able to live here together despite the size of the apartment; she refuses to leave this place."

Rukawa lays out a futon on the floor of the living room.

"Help me tuck her to bed."

"She sleeps here in the living room?"

"Usually she sleeps in her work room over there these days on the floor; she ends up sleeping while working and practicing. However this is really where she normally sleeps."

"You sleep with her here?"

Rukawa shakes her head. "I sleep in that room over there. It used to be a storage room until I came to live with her. She gave me the room. This small apartment only has four rooms—this living room with the kitchen, the bathroom with a toilet, the storage room which is currently my room, and the work room which is actually her bedroom but there's hardly any space to sleep there."

"My place is kinda similar but I only got three rooms—bathroom with a toilet, one bedroom, and then a living room with a kitchen."

"You live by yourself, don't you Kurosaki?"

"That's right."

"Alright, Eika's good. Thank you for your help."

"No prob."

"Make sure you lock up well especially at night."

"Of course; you guys too."

I make my way to their door. "I'm goin'."

"Okay." Rukawa says loudly from the living room."

"What's this?"

On the floor at the front of the entrance door, a small box sits out in the open.

I pick up the box. "Rukawa, were you guys expecting a deliv—?"

The box slips off from my grip and falls to the floor.

"What the hell?"

The lid of the box came off and its contents spill out.

"What kind of sick joke is this?!"

The contents were disgusting objects. I immediately put them all back inside the box.

"Were you saying something, Kurosaki?" Rukawa asks loudly from the living room.

"Nothin'! Never mind! I'm leavin' for real."

I take the box with me and throw it immediately.

What kind of sick bastard sent that?! I'm hoping that was just a mistake with the address.

* * *

 **Another** **Author's Note:** The song in this chapter takes its melody after "Shinka to Daraku no Niigenron" by Granrodeo


	13. Chapter 12: Missing

**Chapter 12: Missing**

A cool breeze enters the room as I open the window of the work room. Darkness still covers the city so early in the morning. Quiet. Calm. Peaceful. That's all I could think of as I gaze upon the empty lit streets of the city and at the buildings sparkling brightly in the midst of the dark. It's funny, I think, the way that the lights made by man mix with the lights of the sky—how funny it is that you can't tell them apart sometimes and you end up wondering what exactly you are looking at.

It's really quiet; I can hear the gentle beating of my heart and the breaths I naturally take. The sound of wings flapping in the air, the gentle blow of the wind, rustling leaves, a car passing by the road at the other side, the tapping shoes of people taking a walk, you can hear them all so well.

"It would be a waste to let this kind of morning pass me by."

Quietly, I start to remove my clothes and change into a pair of jogging pants and into a simple white shirt with Piyo-chan printed at bottom half. I tie my hair up to a pony tail and head for the front door with a pair of socks.

*meow*

Nao comes and rubs my left side as I put on my socks and rubber shoes.

"G'morning to you too, Nao. You woke up early too?"

*meooow meow meow meow meow*

"I'm guessing you're trying to tell me about a dream you had. It must have been about food, right?"

*meow*

"Hehe. I'm gonna go for a nice walk and a little jogging around the neighbourhood. You wanna come too?"

*meeeoooow*

"Hngh. Quiet down, you damn cat! You're going to bother the neighbours this early in the morning. Hnghhh." Madoka says as she suddenly comes out from her room. Her eyes are still closed and her short hair is messy. "Hm? And where are you going at this hour?" She asks with eyes still shut closed.

"How'd you do that?! You can see with your eyes closed?!"

"What? Of course not! They're not entirely closed! They're squinted!"

"Oh." I look at Nao. "She's weird too, huh?"

*meow*

"I was going to go have a walk outside. The weather is too good to pass on!"

"No. I won't allow it." She crosses her arms with her eyes still squinted.

"But—!"

"I said no."

"But why?!"

"It's dangerous to be outside alone and it's still dark outside."

"But I've been going out alone many times! The sun will rise soon anyway! I want to see the sun rise while outside jogging!"

"No."

"Oh come on! I'll take Nao with me so that I won't be alone!" I hold up Nao to her.

*meow*

Nao keeps meowing and each time he does, it gets louder. Madoka puts her hand on her face in irritation.

"FINE! TAKE THE CAT WITH YOU SO THAT IT CAN BE QUIET. I DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH THE OLD LADY DOWNSTAIRS THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING."

"Yay! Good job, Nao." I hug the little critter.

*meow*

"Bring a jacket with you; it might be cold outside. Bring a towel too to wipe yourself with. Keep the cat and your cell phone with you always and don't do anything troublesome. Message me from time to time about your location so that I'd know where you are and if anything happens, call me right away."

"Yes, mom. I understand."

I rush back to my room and take my jacket and phone; I decide to take my wallet too in case I get hungry or thirsty.

*meow*

"Hold still, Nao. I'll never get this on you if you keep moving."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm putting Nao's collar on."

"That thing has a collar?"

"C-A-T. Yes, Nao has a collar on. I only make him wear it when we go out. You haven't noticed?"

"I didn't notice it all this time. It's the same color as his fur; that might be why."

"Yeah. He has his name here at this side of the collar and the address of the apartment in case he gets picked up by someone else or in case he gets lost."

"I see."

*meow*

"There, it's secured! Let's go, Nao."

*meow*

He makes his way to the door, waiting for me to open it.

"Take care and don't forget to message."

"Yes, yes. I won't forget!"

"By the way, could you buy these at the supermarket before you come back home?" She gives me a small piece of paper. "I have paper works to finish for Saotome so I won't be able to buy them myself later."

"Okay, no problem. Just message me in case you want to add something to the list or anything, Madoka."

I open the front door and my left foot had already stepped outside to the hallway.

"Koemi, what time will you come back home?"

"I…dunno."

*meowww*

"Will you be back by lunch time?"

"Hmm…I don't think so. I'd usually take the whole day when I get in the mood for a walk like this. How about I come back a lil' bit before dark?"

"I'll say yes if you promise to message often and if you will buy dinner too on your way back."

"Deal."

*meow*

Nao gets out of the apartment and hops onto the rails of the hallway.

"Whoa there, be carefully or else you're gonna fall all the way down. It won't be pretty."

*meow*

"Koemi."

"Yeah?"

"Please do come back home before dark."

"What's with that worrisome face? I'll come home before dark! I will. I promise."

She smiles at me in a half assed way but somehow I really did feel that she was feeling uneasy. Isn't she a bit more sensitive lately? I feel like she's not telling me something.

*meow*

"Yes, yes, I'm pressing the button; to the ground floor we go."

The elevator doors start to close after I pressed the ground button.

*meow*

Strange. A man wearing a black sweatshirt waves at me with a smile as the elevator doors close. I've never seen him before. I don't think he's a new tenant; there are no vacancies on our floor.

Nao hurriedly runs towards the apartment building entrance and runs in a circle.

"Wait for me. Aren't you excited to go out?"

He then starts to tug the end of my jogging pants.

"Hey! You're going to rip my pants if you keep doing that! I'm going, I'm going already! You're becoming pushy!"

I take out my phone and connect my earphones as I hurriedly get out of the building but I stop on my tracks when Nao suddenly stops behind me by the door. He's standing firm while looking inside the lobby.

"I thought you were excited to go on a walk. Changed your mind?"

He doesn't respond at all; he didn't even turn his head to look at me when I talked to him. He's just standing there, staring at the lobby intently.

"C'mon on now, Nao. If we don't go now, we'll miss the sunrise by the river."

I pick him up from the floor and carry him until we reached the road. Once we reached the sidewalk, I put him down and I started to jog. Nao starts running too just right behind me.

The streets are quiet and practically empty just like minutes ago. The lights look like stars from being slightly dim. The cool wind brushes my face so gently; it's great. I used to go out for an early jog frequently in high school since I usually woke up early almost every day. It was a good way to clear my mind of anything and it helped me relax and feel that I was just wandering in my own head without obstacles. Jogging like this makes me feel that I'm escaping the grip of everyday life—the grip of this world. Sometimes I wondered where I will end up if I kept running and running in one direction. Where will I be? Where will I stop? What kind of people will I meet? Such amusing things to think about compared to money balancing and work and other stuff haha.

*meow*

"What is it, Nao?"

He gets ahead of me and climbs up on a park bench. I gradually slow down until I stop by the same bench.

"It's coming, isn't it?"

*meow*

I lean on the bench as Nao sits still.

A cat and a woman happily watching the sun climb up the sky and give color to a wonderful morning.

"Wow…" A single word—simple and childish but enough to express the awe I had for the morning sun before my eyes.

Goosebumps still form on me even though I've grown up over the years. Things change but I guess that some things just don't change just like this childish side of me. Childish or child-like? Hmm…I'm going to look up the difference haha.

*meow*

"You want to continue jogging already? Can't we stay a little longer? We don't get to see this often."

*meow*

"Madoka should see this next time; she needs some serious inspiration to stop her eyebrows from furrowing down all the time. We'll drag her out if we have to. Hehe."

*meow*

"I dunno if he goes out for a jog often. I know he does but dunno when. Maybe he goes for a jog more often at night since he's usually busy in the day?"

*meow*

"Oh shut up, Nao. Stop giving me that smug look. You know I don't like the guy; he's an annoying monkey."

*meoooow*

I roll my eyes and speak in a sarcastic tone. "Let's go, you want to continue jogging right?"

He climbs up my shoulder and then rubs his face against my cheek.

*meeeooow*

"You're such a tease."

He jumps down to the floor and starts walking. I take a deep breath before jogging behind him.

As I moved forward, I look at the sun again as it hangs up in the sky with the beautiful clouds. If heaven looks even just a little bit like that, then mom and dad are in a good place—a place that one day I hope I'd get to go to too.

*meoooow*

"I hope you're not meowing now because you're hungry already. It's still too early to eat."

*meeeeow*

"Well, thinking where to eat while jogging isn't that bad but I have a gut feeling that we'll end up eating at a convenience store."

*meow*

* * *

"Thank you for your purchase. Please come again!" the cashier says in a joyful tone.

I exit the convenience store and sit by the pavement at the parking lot with Nao.

"You're a lucky little cat. They had cat food in stock so I got you the chicken flavoured one; it's your favorite for this brand, right?"

He suddenly sits and behaves properly as his tail dances around. I open the can of cat food and put it on front of him.

"Make sure you eat it all."

He starts to eat the cat food after rubbing his head against my hand. I take my sandwich and start eating it.

"Hmm, this reminds me of something I heard from some kids who live near our apartment building, Nao. They say there's a cat fairy that appears at the back of the apartment building every night."

*meow*

"Yup, they call the person a cat fairy. Almost every night, that person gives food to the stray cats that hang out at the back of the apartment building and all the cats like the fairy."

*meooow*

"Have you met the cat fairy already, Nao?"

*meowww*

"Maybe that's why you disappear sometimes at night. You go to the cat fairy, don't you?"

*meow*

He circles around in place before he goes back to eating his food.

"I should thank the cat fairy then when I meet him or her for being kind to ya and for giving you food too."

Nao looks at me and I know he's giving me a smug face. This cat is definitely mine.

"You're just as weird as I am. You really are my child, Nao."

*meow*

*beep beep*

I take my cell phone out and open the message I just received.

 _Where are you? You haven't messaged at all for the past hours. You promised to message. –Madoka._

"Whoops. We forgot to message our mother dearest, Nao."

I start to type back to her.

 _I'm sorry! I forgot ^^; Forgive me, please? I'll get good food for dinner. I promise! Nao and I are taking a break at a convenience store. –Koemi._

"That should do it. Time flies by too fast; I just checked the time and it's already a few minutes before noon."

*meow*

"By the way…where are we? I don't know this part of town."

Nao and I sit still all of a sudden and stare blankly at our surroundings.

"Nao, you know the way back right? Your memory is pretty good, right?

He looks at me with eyes wide open. His tail isn't moving so I guess…we're both lost.

"D-Don't worry! I can always use Doko Maps to help us find our way ba—"

Oh crap…I'm low on battery…

I quickly tuck away my phone in my pocket and pat Nao's head.

"I'm sure that if we just retrace our steps we'll get back to our neighbourhood. Let's buy water and some snacks before heading back…just in case we take some time to find the right way…"

Jogging thru a pretty long distance, Nao and I were still a little unfamiliar with our surroundings; it makes us really wonder how we got here. I guess we've been captured by the sun and fell just like Icarus. One thing that keeps us confident though with our strides is the fact that we could recognize certain stores and sceneries so I guess we're more or less on the right path going back.

A man was walking on the left side of the street like me but he was walking in the direction towards me. I decide to change to the right lane for a moment to give way.

The moment that I pass him, Nao stops on his feet and starts growling at the man.

"Nao, stop that. Don't go crazy on me. I'm sorry about my cat; he's been a little off today."

The man was not intimidated by Nao and in fact, he kept such a calm demeanour that it was a little weird. He looks at me for a moment. A smile grows on his face as he raises his hand.

"It's okay. Everything is alright, Nakahara-san."

"Excuse me? Do I know you? How do you know my na—!"

Someone places a bag or a sack over my head. I struggle as much as I could to get it off of me but the person's grip on the thing is tight and strong! When I try to hit the person, the bag becomes tighter around my neck and I end up gasping for air as I try to loosen it with my strength somehow. I can hear Nao growling and losing himself; they must have captured him too.

"What the hell is this?! Who the hell are you people and what are you doing?!"

No one answers my questions or even says a single word. Someone grabs my hands and puts them together behind my back and bounds them together with a zip tie. It's so tight that I can't even move my hands! They start to push me with some force—leading me to somewhere. They suddenly push me really hard after walking for a few minutes and I fall onto something soft. I can hear a car's engine; I think I'm in the car's trunk as I hear a door shutting close from above me. I try to stretch my legs but I hit the side of the car; I really am in the trunk.

*ring ring ring ring ring*

My cell phone starts ringing from my pocket. Someone opens the trunk and reaches into my pocket hurriedly and takes my phone away. I hear a loud snapping sound before my phone went completely silent. Either he broke my phone into two or he threw it hard enough to the asphalt outside the car that I can hear it break so clearly. Whatever happened to it, it's clear that I'm not going to be able to get some help soon especially from Madoka.

I don't hear Nao at all! I hope they didn't hurt him…or kill him. Damn it! What should I do?! How am I gonna get out of this?!

The car starts moving.

Where the hell are we going?! Who are these people?! Why did they kidnap me?! What the hell is going?!

Those questions kept ringing in my head. One question though stood out among them all—What are they going to do to me?

"GET ME OUT OF HERE DAMN IT! WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?! IF ANYONE CAN HEAR ME OUT THERE, HELP ME! I'M BEING KIDNAPPED! THEY ABDUCTED ME!" I shout as loud as I can with hope that someone could hear me despite the bag that's over my head muffling my voice.

The car suddenly stops hard and causes me to roll a bit in the trunk, hitting my head. Someone opens the trunk and pulls me up by the collar of my shirt. I wish he'd take the bag off of my head but he doesn't.

"You better shut up if you don't want to get really hurt yet you little twerp!"

The man suddenly slaps me really hard.

"You're all cowards! Release me right here right now and fight me fair and square!"

"Why the hell would I do that? I ain't stupid, little girl. I heard stories about you; I ain't gonna fight you alone."

"Who are you people?!"

"You probably have an idea who we are; you ain't that stupid."

"You piece of—"

The man once again slaps my face really hard. "Shut up already!"

"Shit…that hurt!" My face feels a little numb from the pain.

"Hey, give me that brick over there by the flower beds." The man says to his partner.

"Here ya go." His partner says as I hear the sound of something rough being handed over.

"This will be your first warning! Take this, you brat!"

"ARGH!"

The man hits my ankles and feet with the hard brick several times with full force.

"Make some noise or trouble again and I'll make sure you'll never walk again!" He says proudly.

I hear the man throw away the brick and takes something from a bag that's behind me in the trunk. He then suddenly holds my mouth forcefully with the bag still on my head.

"Just to be sure, this should shut you up for the whole trip." He tightens the bag that's on my head and makes it harder to breathe as the bag tends to get caught in my mouth.

"Mhnmnhmmhh!"

I struggle and struggle but gradually I start to lessen my movements until I stops moving. The man lets go of me and I fall back into the trunk of the car like a lifeless body.

"What did you do to her, man?"

"I silenced her a little. I don't wanna get caught on the way to boss."

"You mean you knocked her out, right? You do know we're supposed to bring her back to the boss alive and in one piece, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. She's just out from the chloroform I tainted on the bag when I held her mouth. Let's get going; boss ain't that patient these days."

"I can't believe boss is getting all stressed out just because of this kid. So the stories are true, huh?"

"You bet they are. I was there when we fought her when she was a kid. She's terrible, man—a little devil. Now stop yapping and get in the car already."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hear ya. Are you coming with us, Yamada-sama? The boss is gonna be proud that you got to track her down and all."

"Nah, I'll just go to a bar or something and take a break; I deserve some rest after all the investigating and searching that I've done. Heck, I hope the boss pays me some extra for the harassing jobs."

* * *

*ring ring ring*

*ring ring ring*

*ring ring ring*

"Any luck Ran-ran?"

"The kid ain't answering. Must be busy."

"Awww. I thought that Ei-chan could have helped us out today since the second guitarist for our rehearsal didn't come…"

"We can't do anything about it if she's busy. Let's just go on with practice without the second guitar." Ai says.

"The music will lack a little but what we have now is sufficient. Let's not waste any more time and start practice." Camus says.

"You said that Ei-chan is free today, Ran-ran. Did you lie to me?" Reiji asks in a whining tone.

"Well, for what I know she's free. Don't know why she won't answer maybe she got herself something to do."

"Perhaps she made some plans to go out." Ai suggests.

"Plans? Trust me, she never plans her days." Ranmaru says as he puts his phone away. "Nothin' we can do so let's just get this started." He picks up one of the guitars and tunes it a little. Once his ears hear the right sound, he starts to play some chords rapidly as a warm up.

"Whaaaa! Ran-ran is always so cool!" Reiji says as he picks up his microphone.

"His charm is unique and powerful among us all." Ai says.

"I have no comment regarding that matter." Camus says.

"Ran-ran is and will always be a valuable member of Quartet Night. We should have some rock songs made for him so that he can have his spotlight!"

"I may not have as much experience in the rock genre but I'll do my best to adapt." Ai says with a hint of enthusiasm.

"Perhaps I can bear with it if it is for the improvement of output of our unit." Camus says as he ties his hair for practice.

* _screeeeeshhnnnnnngtng!_ *

"Ran-ran, are you okay?! You didn't get hit?!"

"I'm fine. It didn't reach me."

A string from the guitar that Ranmaru was using snapped and was an inch away from hitting his face.

"It would be unfortunate if the string had hit your face—it could have hit your eye." Ai says.

"I'll get this string changed. You guys go ahead and start practicing; I'll be done in a few minutes and catch up."

"Okay!" Reiji says.

Ranmaru puts the guitar down to get extra strings from the cabinet in the practice room but pauses for a moment to look at the snapped string. For a moment, he felt an awful feeling in his chest.

"This doesn't normally happen. Strange."

He says those words to fill in the silence he suddenly had in himself and shrugs off the tension but deep inside, he knows something might not be okay.

Out of nowhere, he recalls something that Ai had told him before when Ai was researching on Greek mythology for a variety show. In Greek mythology, one's life is likened to a string—a string of fate. Three women watch over you from birth to death, doing nothing but watch from the heavens. They then take you from this world at the moment that it is decided that your string must be cut and your soul must be collected and judged by the eyes of the gods.

Could this string have been cut by Atropos herself, warning the death of a mortal? If so, whose unfortunate string could it be?


	14. Chapter 13: The Following Eye

**Chapter 13: The Following Eye**

"Hnghhh…"

My groan echoes all throughout the silent apartment. As instinctual and automatic I could ever be, my feet lead me straight into the kitchen and towards the water heater. Swiftly, my arms prepare the needed tools and ingredients without the need for my brain to think or work. The second that the water heater had finished its job of boiling water, I immediately lift it and happily pour it thru a filter holding fresh ground coffee beans.

This! This is the nectar of the hard working gods! The drink of strength! The elixir of endurance! The one thing that has kept me sane and alive since my high school and college days—coffee!

I quickly take a sip of the coffee I've prepared and take it with me back to my room wherein I station myself by the makeshift desk I've made before. On the desk sat my laptop that stared at me with its screen filled with notes and requests from Saotome as well as the ever changing work schedule of Koemi and I.

My watch tells me that it's still quite early to be working but my heart tells me that it is a chance to start early and end early. To work or not to work? Such a decision can be perplexing. I lost my sleepiness from seeing Koemi off for her morning jog and stressing over the noisy cat. Sigh.

"Oh."

I got an email from Kumagai. Let's see what this is about.

I click the email open and the moment a picture from it loads on my screen, I suddenly choke and spit out some of my coffee.

"This is him…! This is that crazy bastard!"

I told Kumagai that Koemi has gotten a stalker that knows where she lives. Thanks to the CCTV cameras of this place, I was able to get a hold of a copy of a footage that shows the stalker's face; he was careful but not careful enough. Diligently, I read the file that Kumagai sent me. Not a single detail escapes my attention and the further I read, the more anxious I become causing my sleepiness to gradually disappear entirely.

"So your name is Yamada Tarou. You have quite a record; you're not just an average stalker—you're a professional criminal. Hmm…He's been accused of many crimes from petty ones such as shoplifting, stealing, picking pockets, and public disturbance to grave crimes such as harassment, kidnapping, assault, and possible murder."

Why on earth would a guy like this be after Koemi?! He doesn't seem to be the type to be into idols at all. In fact, all of his reported victims are of different statuses and occupation; he seems like the type to victimize anyone but the common point among his victims is that they're all really rich people. Could he be doing it for the money? Koemi however is not as wealthy as her fame makes her seem to be. She's still in the early part of her career so her income is not as big as these people in the victim list; her income isn't even ten percent of these people's income! There's no way he's targeting her for money! I'm pretty sure this guy does his research first before he goes after his targets!

I continue to read the man's profile and an alarming detail catches my eye.

"No…"

I suddenly stand up and my hands bang on my desk as I slightly slump forward in surprise.

"This man is a member of a yakuza group…"

Not just any yakuza group—it's the group with the worst record. They're the kind that can erase your existence within a day; not a single trace of you would be left for anyone to find. They suddenly left the public's eyes some years ago but there were reports and evidences that showed that the group was still active and still doing their shady business especially underground.

Koemi, what on earth is this? How on earth did you get yourself involved with these—

It suddenly hits me. I remember that day that she came home with injuries; it's impossible that that was done by one person alone. What if she got attacked by this guy's group?! How?! Why?!

In a blink of an eye, I dial Koemi's number and her phone rings.

"Pick up your damn cell phone, Koemi. You have a lot of explaining to do!"

She doesn't answer and I start to redial her number.

"Pick it up. Pick it up. Pick it up…"

Again, she doesn't answer her phone and I start to worry. I continue to redial her number over and over again as I walk back and forth in my room.

WHAT ON EARTH IS WRONG WITH THAT GIRL?! WHY WON'T YOU ANSWER YOUR PHONE?! ANSWER MY CALLS, WON'T YOU?!

I redial her number one more time but instead of hearing the ringing of her phone, I hear the automated voice message of the network provider.

 _The number you are dialling is currently unavailable. Please try again later._

I stop pacing back and forth. My stomach is suddenly filled with moths flying in frenzy.

"…Maybe she just ran out of battery? She did message that her phone was low on energy. It's possible too that maybe she lost signal? Maybe she's jogging thru a tunnel…or a building…or a cave…?"

I angrily throw my phone onto my bed.

"ARGHHHH! If anything happens to her—!" I take several deep breaths. "Should I call the agency or call Saotome directly? Should I wait for a while? She might have just run out of battery. Should I contact the police? But what if she comes home in a while? But what if she doesn't?! ARGHHHHH!"

I look at my watch and take note of the time.

"I'll give her a few more hours. She promised she'd be back before dark so until then, I'll wait. If she doesn't return before dark then I'll call the agency."

Knowing I can't wait till dark to know if she'll come home safely or not, I start to change my clothes and fix myself up. It can help ease my nerves if I go to the places she frequents. I'll visit every café, studio, park, and the like and see if she's there; I'll even check the theme park if I have to. Wherever you are Koemi, I hope you're alright.

I won't forgive myself if something were to happen to you.


	15. Chapter 14: Caught

**Chapter 14: Caught**

The car suddenly stops and I end up rolling a bit here in the trunk of the car. The guys who kidnapped me open the trunk and one of them grabs me by the collar and puts me over his shoulder.

"Rise and shine kid. It's time to meet someone who's been looking for you in a long time."

I could hear the creaking sound of a big door opening. Sounds like metal so could we be heading into a warehouse or something like that?

As they enter whatever place it is, I can hear several people whispering and talking. One thing is for sure, there are a hell lot of people here; I should just behave for now. The worst case scenario would be getting into a fight with all these people and I am a hundred percent sure that I'm in no condition to fight them all; I have a chance at losing.

The man roughly drops me onto the floor.

"Argh!" The floor is cemented.

Someone steps on my back. "Boss, we found her." He steps harder on my back with greater pressure.

"Argh! Stop it, it hurts!"

A man chuckles. "After all these years, we finally meet again. What was your nickname back then again? Ah, I remember now. You were called the 'little hidden devil' back in the day. You and your aunt's group really gave us a hard time. Who would have thought that the little kid back then could take down almost half of our group alone during that conflict back then? Your aunt's group was something we definitely didn't underestimate but you—you were an unpredicted wild card. We really thought that we were going to be wiped out for good but thanks to our quick thinking, we were able to get away with survivors."

"…I'm going to get you all." I say softly to myself.

"What did you say, little devil?"

The man picks me up and slaps my face.

"You still got some guts just like in the past. I bet your aunt is still so proud of ya. I wonder how she'd feel if her precious niece were to suddenly disappear or perhaps end up in an 'unsightly manner'?"

Subtle echoes of the laughter and smirks of the men in here fill the air eerily.

"What do you want, you bastard?! It ain't your style to just kidnap and run. You want somethin' from me don't you?! Well?! Spit it out already before I lose my patience!"

"You're feisty as usual." He lets go of me and I hit the ground painfully. "I heard that you've been doing pretty well for yourself. You're known as 'Eika' these days, am I right? Being an idol for a famous agency means you're raking in some money, right? You see, me and my boys need some funding since business isn't doing so well these days and those who owe us money haven't been payin' on time."

"So you want me to give you idiots some money? That's all?"

"For now that's all we need but maybe we might need some other form of support in the future. I hope you'll be cooperative enough with us; we wouldn't wanna cause some kind of commotion that would have to ruin your career or maybe affect those kids ya keep visiting in that hospital."

"What the hell?! If any of you lay a single finger on those kids I'm gonna—"

Someone suddenly kicks me straight in the stomach. The kick was so powerful that it almost made me throw up; whoever it was he definitely didn't hold back at all.

"Listen here kid, I think you haven't understood well that you're in no position to demand or even negotiate anythin' now. We don't care if we give ya back alive or dead but right now you're more useful being alive so we have to put up with ya. Anyway, if ya become non-cooperative, we could dispose of ya and pretend you're still alive and take some ransom money from your manager or agency. There's also the option to sell ya off; I'm pretty sure there're clients out there who'll be willing to buy ya from us especially in the black market." The man laughs.

The man snaps his finger and I'm suddenly lifted up by someone. I struggle to get away but it's no use; I won't be able to get away as long as my hands are bound because I can't fight back with my ankles and feet badly injured. I have to find a way to get outta here. If I could just distract them long enough to take the bag off of my head, I can probably run a distance while ignoring the pain of my ankles and feet; at least far enough to find a place to hide and if I'm lucky enough, I might run into someone who could help me or even find a police box.

I suddenly hear a lot of noises and commotion and it makes me feel really uneasy. The man carrying me suddenly drops me to the floor.

"It was great seeing you again after such a long time, little demon but reunions always come to an end but we all know that before a party ends, there's always a gift giving or a moment to say our farewells." The boss snaps his finger and I could hear several footsteps coming closer to me from all directions. The sound of faint laughs can also be heard, sending a cold chill down my spine.

Whatever is going to happen next, I just have to endure it and get the hell outta here. I have to endure! I have to live!

"Alright boys, time to give our momentary goodbye to our dear little demon. I only got one rule for ya all to follow—don't kill her just yet; just make her remember this special day of reunion. Give her a present she can bring home."

Damn it! Don't tell me they're going to—?!

"Hraaaa!" A man loudly shouts from behind me.

In response, I suddenly roll to my side and hear a bat hit the ground where I sat earlier. The loud was really loud. If I didn't dodge that hit, it would have given me a fatal blow right on my head.

"Take this, you lil' tramp!" A man shouts.

I continue to dodge their hits thru the sound of their voices. It's a good thing that they grunt or speak before hitting me—it gives me time to guess where they are and to dodge away.

Successful at the moment, I've grown a bit confident and do my best to avoid—

"ARGGHH!"

"I got ya!"

A man who didn't make a sound before hitting me landed a strike on my back. I think he used a wooden plank or something like that.

"I knew it! This kid is usin' her ears to tell where we're coming from. Make as much noise as ya can, brothers! She won't know where we'll be comin' from! Hahaha!"

Damn it. They figured it out! What am I going to do now—

"ACKK!" A punch hits me from the right side; the bastard aimed right at my face.

I decide to continuously move around, still trying to guess where they're going to hit me next. I'm able to avoid some of them but there's just so many of them and it's hella noisy that I can't keep up!

Several hits land on me and my movements start to slow down; I'm starting to feel light headed and dizzy. One after the other, I sustain a hit from all directions. I can't…I can't avoid them anymore. They all start to laugh and shout words of excitement and joy as they brutally hit me. I can't feel most of my body parts anymore…I'm getting all numb. All I could do now is to endure the unpredictable hits and gasp for air with the bag still on my head.

"This should hurt a lot." A man says as I hear something metallic being dragged across the floor. "HAAAA!"

The next thing I knew was a heavy sharp pain coming from the side of my head. Another heavy sharp pain followed on my stomach causing me to vomit out blood. My body shakes a little before falling onto the floor lifelessly.

"Boss, I think he killed her."

"Nah, I'm pretty sure that girl is still alive; she's still moving her hands and fingers and she's a tough nut after all. I think this is enough, boys. Any more than this and she might fall into a coma or actually die. Y'all did a good job for beating her up and keeping her alive for a good solid forty minutes." The boss claps for his men who cheer in return.

The boss kneels by my side and says, "You know well that this ain't just for the money, kid. This is revenge for my brothers that you took down years ago. I'm going to makes sure that you'll pay for what you did to my clan and if I get the chance, I'll make sure to take down your aunt's group too in the near future, you hear me? Anyhow, gotta say goodbye to ya. I'll be expecting the first payment soon, 'kay? I'll be nice and give you a month's time. Do anything funny then I'll make a big mess of things."

I wanted to snap back at him and return his threat with mine but I couldn't—I couldn't move anymore; not even my mouth would listen to me. A minute later, everything became dark and I lost consciousness before I could even realize it.

The boss stands up and calls over some of his men. "You guys take her back to the car and drop her where you found her and the cat too."

"Okay, boss…but we lost the cat; he wasn't in the car anymore when we got here."

"The hell?! Tch. Whatever, it's just a cat; it won't do any harm. Just get the kid and drop her off where ya took her."

"Yes, boss!"

* * *

I press the last business contact in my address book as I drive along the main road. I put the call on speaker mode so that I can keep my hands on the steering wheel.

"Hello, Mr. Inoda? I apologize for calling you out of the blue but may I ask if Eika is there at your studio at the moment? She isn't? Okay, thank you for your time. Have a nice day."

I end the call and in frustration, I take a sharp turn at a corner and stop abruptly at the side of the road.

"Damn it! She's not at that studio either! She's not in any studio, café, or agency office! She's not at her usual stores either! Where could she be?! I even tried looking at the direction where she walked but she wasn't around the premises or the next districts either! It's not like she could have walked or jogged too far! Damn it! Damn it all!"

I bang my hands on the steering wheel. There's one last number I can dial and hope that she's with him or at least hope that he has seen her around by chance.

I dial one last number from my contact list. It can be a long shot but I have nothing to lose in trying.

*ring ring ring ring*

"Oi, Ran-chan! Your phone is ringing!" Reiji says as he points at Ranmaru's bag.

"Who the hell would be calling me? I hope it's not the agency." Ranmaru sees the caller ID that says 'Rukawa Madoka' and immediately answers the call. "What made you call?"

"Kurosaki," Madoka's voice was tainted with worry. "where are you at the moment?"

"Me? At Reiji's place. We had practice in the mornin' and ended about an hour ago; we're all just chillin' here for a while."

"I see. Have you seen or heard anything from Eika today?"

"Nope. Is somethin' up?"

"…Damn it!" Madoka says softly.

"Hey, your tone ain't sounding good. Did something happen?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure."

"What do you mean you're not sure?"

"…I think something bad might have happened to Eika."

Madoka starts to tell Ranmaru about the odd and unpleasant letters and packages that Eika has been getting in her mailbox and how she has been hiding and disposing them from Eika. She notified the agency about it but to her dismay, they haven't been able to trace the stalker. She then tells him that the stalker became reckless and got his face caught on the apartment building's CCTV camera and she got Kumagai to help her. She then proceeds to tell him the fruits of Kumagai's research and investigation and reveals to him the profile of the stalker.

"Wait a minute!" Kurosaki says in a surprised tone. "Name! What's that guy's name again?!"

"Yamada Tarou."

"You have to be kiddin' me!"

"You know of him?!"

"Rukawa, you know my background. My family were once in par with the Jinguuji and Hijirikawa clans until our family business sank deep down because a colleague of my dad betrayed us. The reason that my dad's colleague betrayed us is because he incurred a huge debt from a yakuza group and the collector was that man—Yamada Tarou. That yakuza group helped blow up my dad's company's debt; they pulled some strings so that my dad's colleague could get his hands on more of the company's funds to steal and to help pay off his debt to the yakuza. That group is terrible and dangerous as hell! How'd the kid get involved with them?!"

"I don't know! I don't know at all! I've been thinking about that long and hard since this morning! She has never mentioned anything about the yakuza and based on the background she submitted and verified by the agency, there's no connection at all!"

"So you haven't heard from the kid since she left? What about Nao? I'm thinkin' that if something happened to the kid, he'd return home and get your attention or help."

"Even the cat hasn't come home, Kurosaki. Those two are nowhere to be found!"

"Tch. Well first of all we gotta stay calm or else we won't think straight. Where are you at now? Ok. I'll head over to the apartment building to see if I can find some clues. Which direction did she go after leaving this morning?"

Madoka tells Ranmaru her current location and other information that she thinks is important. Ranmaru listens to her as he fixes his things and puts on his black leather jacket.

"Eh? Ran-ran, you're leaving already?" Reiji asks.

"Somethin' came up so I have to go."

"Hm. Okay. See you around!" Reiji says as Ranmaru closes the front door.

"The monkey seems to be in a rush." Camus says as he adds a sugar cube into his tea at the kitchen counter.

"It must be urgent. An emergency perhaps?"

"Could be, Ai-Ai but I have no idea what kind of emergency it could be. Ah! Maybe he needed to poop really badly so he left to go home! Hmm, he could have just used the toilet here though; I wouldn't mind."

"Reiji…" Ai sighs.

* * *

*meow meow meow meow meow meow*

Nao continuously meows as he struggles to get out of the small bag that the yakuza men had put him inside. Luckily, the man who captured him forgot about him momentarily and so he was left at a spot not too far from where Koemi was kidnapped.

With high determination and with the use of all of his strength, he was able to stretch the opening of the bag and opened a small hole. He puts his head thru the hole, trying hard to put his head thru with as much effort as he can give out.

*MEOWWWWW*

His head finally pops out of the bag and he tries his best to get his body out thru the small opening of the bag.

*MEEEEEOOOOOWWWWWWWW*

After over an hour of struggling, he finally enables his right front leg to be freed from the bag. Slowly, his other front leg is freed as well.

*meow meow*

In a matter of minutes, he frees the rest of his body and without a second to spare, he runs off swiftly to find a way back to the apartment building.

* * *

As I got nearer the apartment building entrance, I see Madoka at the front entrance leaning against her car with her arms crossed.

"You're here fast."

"It wasn't traffic, Kurosaki."

That's what she said but I'm guessing she drove way faster than the usual.

"So she left that way this morning?" I asked immediately after reaching her.

"Yes. I already passed thru there though and travelled quite a distance; I saw no trace of her nor of Nao."

"So you checked that area out while driving?"

"Yes."

"Then come with me, we're walking."

"Huh?"

"If you drove your car then you most likely missed the areas where it wouldn't fit like the narrower alleys and walkways."

"I see! You have a point."

"I've lived around here longer than you and the kid. When taking a walk or a jog around here, you're prone to go thru the alley ways to avoid the cars that pass thru around here; that would also mean that she could have ended up going somewhere kinda far from here 'cause the alleys are also shortcuts that lead to different parts of the neighbourhood."

"Interesting. I did not know that."

"C'mon, let's go."

"Lead the way, Kurosaki."

Running around, I tell Madoka to where some of the alleys lead to and we split up time to time to cover more ground. We'd meet back at one spot after some time to check each other's progress.

"Any luck?"

Madoka shakes her head. "None, I found neither Eika nor Nao. What about you?"

"No luck either."

"Maybe she walked farther than what we covered? You did say these alleys could lead to a farther end of the neighbourhood."

"Possible. But which way could she have gone? There's no way we could figure out which way she took."

*MEOW MEOW MEOW*

"You hear that? That sounds like Nao, doesn't it?"

"How can you tell, Kurosaki? I can't tell cats apart from their meowing."

I run towards the sound of the meowing cat.

"This way!"

Madoka follows Ranmaru and as they ran, the meowing got louder louder.

*MEOW MEOW*

"Hn? Nao!"

The exhausted cat suddenly looks up and runs up to Ranmaru.

*meo…w*

Ranmaru looks at the collar around the cat's neck.

"It's really you!" He pats his head. "Where have ya been?! Where's the kid? She ain't with you?"

*meow*

"You're really kinda weak right now. You've ran from a distance, haven't you? Rukawa, he'll need some food and water. Let's let him recharge first and see what comes next."

"Alright!"

The two took Nao back to the apartment building and gave him nutrition by Madoka's car. Nao immediately ate the food given to him and within less than five minutes, he finishes everything. When given water, he too finishes everything within minutes; he was extremely hungry and thirsty.

*meooowwww*

"Looks like your strength and spirit is back!" Ranmaru says.

"Now, do you know where Eika is? Where?!" Madoka asks.

*meow meow*

Nao's tail shoots up and he stands firmly on all of his legs. He circles around Ranmaru and Madoka before suddenly running a distance.

"Looks like he's gonna lead us to the kid."

*meow*

Nao stops and looks back at them, waiting for them to catch up to him. The two start to run after him and so he continues to run thru the alleys.

"They went as far as this? Man, what the hell."

"Aren't we heading towards the next town already? They must have been walking for a long time to get here!"

*meow meow*

"How far are we gonna go, huh?" Ranmaru looks around as they run around.

Nao stops at a spot and sits beside a cloth bag on the floor.

*meooowwww*

Madoka squats down and picks up the bag "What is this?"

*meow meow meow*

She opens the bag and sees traces of Nao's fur inside. "Were you kept inside this bag?"

*meoowwww*

Nao walks in a circle and then sits down, showing a sign of affirmation.

"I see. Then what about Eika?" Madoka asks frantically. In her mind, she's in a little bit of disbelief that she is talking to a cat that seems to understand her.

Nao pulls on the bag from her hands and places it on the ground. He puts his head inside the bag and then lies down sideways on the floor.

*meow*

Madoka thinks for a moment.

Ranmaru scratches his head a little. "I think he's saying that they put a bag over Eika's head. If that's the case then she was probably taken by the culprits."

Nao's tail and ears suddenly shoot up straight. He takes his head out of the bag and goes over to Ranmaru.

*meow meow meow*

"Looks like I hit the bull's eye. Do you remember where they took her? Like what area were you guys at before the kidnapping."

*meooow*

Madoka takes the bag that was used to trap Nao, thinking it could be of use later on. She and Ranmaru then follow Nao further down the street.

They come across an unfamiliar district.

"This is probably where he and Eika were walkin' this morning." Ranmaru says.

"I'm really in awe and disbelief that they came all the way here. This is far from home and I don't think Eika has ever been around this district and neither have I." Madoka says.

Nao suddenly stops on his feet and stays still all of a sudden.

"What's wrong?" Madoka asks quickly.

Nao doesn't meow or move. His tail goes straight down and his ears spread sideways sharply.

"This doesn't look good, Rukawa; Nao is angry." Ranmaru says.

A man passes by them and the moment that Nao sees him, he hisses and jumps onto him.

"What the—ARGHHHHHH!"

Nao starts to scratch him everywhere and refuses to let go of him. The man continues to panic and shout in pain.

"Nao, stop!" Madoka shouts as she tries to get him but he's so hostile that she can't even get near.

"Get…Get off of me, you pesky cat! That freakin' hurts! Stop! Get off of me!" The man shouts.

Nao continues to be aggressive towards the man and attacks him further.

"Nao, stop! You're hurting the man badly!" Madoka says.

"I should have killed ya when I had a chance!" The man grunts. "I hope your master gets what she deserves too."

Ranmaru suddenly punches the man right in the face; Nao jumps off of the man but continues to hiss at the man. The man loses his balance but he doesn't fall as Ranmaru grabs his arm. However, Ranmaru twists the man's hand and bends it behind the man. Unable to bear the sudden pain, the man ends up falling to his knees as Ranmaru continues to hold his twisted arm on his back.

"What on earth has gotten into you both?!" Madoka shouts.

"How dare you?! I'll get back at you soon, boy! You'll get yourself roughed up by me and by the hands of my group!"

Ranmaru angrily twists his arm further. "You're easy to slip up this time. If you really are some regular guy, you would have said that you'll call the police but ya didn't."

The man grunts. "...You brat."

"I'll tell ya this only once—move or do anything funny and I'm pretty sure our little cat friend over there will jump back at you and tear that face of yours apart. No mercy."

Madoka starts to feel uneasy as the air around Ranmaru and Nao are extremely dangerous. "Kurosaki—"

"Yamada. This man here is Yamada Tarou."

"What?!" Madoka says in surprise.

"Just now, he said 'my group' and that can only mean that he's referring to a gang or something like that but what gave him away was the way he spoke; it's the same as back then when I heard him in dad's office a couple of times."

"W…Who the hell are you?!" Tarou asks angrily.

"It doesn't matter, bastard. Now tell us where you took the girl and where she is now."

"What are you talkin—"

Ranmaru angrily twists his arm even more.

"ARGHH!"

"You know who we're talking about—the girl who was with this cat earlier."

Nao hisses at the man angrily, resisting the urge to jump at him.

"Damn it." Tarou says to himself.

"I ain't a patient man. Either you talk or you croak in pain."

"ARGHHHH! Damn it! Okay, okay, I'll talk! I'll talk damn it! Two of our group's men took her and probably brought her to the boss."

"Where?" Ranmaru asks aggressively.

"I don't know! The boss doesn't stay in one place long and I haven't been told where he is recently! I ain't lying! I swear! I'm a man in charge of information! I don't get back to the group's headquarters often! ARGH! I swear!"

"You useless son of a b—"

Madoka suddenly grab his wrist tightly. "Kurosaki, stop. It's not worth it. Don't do it."

Ranmaru angrily loosens his grip on the man's arm. "Then you take him. You carry around handcuffs with you for cases like this; you're always prepared. If I hold onto him any longer, I'll really break his arms and legs."

Madoka takes out a pair of handcuffs from a secret pocket in her business skirt and puts it on Tarou's wrists. She holds him by the arm tightly.

"I may be a woman but don't try running away from me; I'm a master of different types of martial arts and I hit harder than most men."

"She ain't kiddin'." Ranmaru says. "What do we do now, Rukawa? He doesn't know where she is. How are we gonna find Eika now?"

"I honestly don't know. I don't know where we go from here. For now, I think we should bring this man back to the agency and have him detained and investigated."

"We're not sending him to the police?"

"I would if only this incident didn't involve Eika; it might not give a good impact on her personal and professional life. As her manager, I'm going to have this incident handled by the agency first and if we see that it won't be too damaging or dangerous for Eika, we'll have it publicly handled by the police. Otherwise, the agency will handle it with the possibility of having the police involved without it being known to the public."

"What the hell. Then we won't be able to find Eika soon!"

"I know!" Madoka says angrily. "But that's what the agency tells us to do! I don't just see Eika as a mere talent or idol of the agency but as a person and as a friend! I want to find her quickly too but I have to follow the rules or protocols of the agency!" Madoka takes a deep breath. "I'm positive that we'll get her back but I don't want her to come back with more danger or any trouble either."

"This is a load of bull." Irritated, he grabs Tarou's collar. "If anything happens to her, I'm gonna send you to hell personally."

Tarou smiles at him. "That is if you can catch me again."

"What?!"

"The boss is finished giving his greetings to the girl; looks like it's time for me to go home since they're dropping off the girl now."

A car without a plate number suddenly stops on the road beside them and a man steps out from the backseat of the car and with a bat swings at Ranmaru and Madoka. The two avoids the man's attack but Madoka ends up letting go of Tarou.

"You guys are late!" Tarou says loudly.

"There was a fun party at the headquarters; everyone had too much fun!" The driver says.

The man with the bat continues to swing at Ranmaru and Madoka as Tarou rushes to get in the car's backseat.

"Step on it!" Tarou commands the driver.

"Yes, sir! Yo, idiot! Get your butt and bat in the car, we're going!"

The man with the bat stops swinging at Ranmaru and Madoka and immediately gets into the car.

"He's getting away!" Madoka says as she runs after the car.

Ranmaru follows the car too as he runs as fast as he can.

"What the hell? You guys still have the girl with you here?!" Tarou says as he sees Koemi sitting on the backseat behind the driver; they kept the bag on her head.

"We were gonna drop her off but then we saw you getting your butt capture over there by those two so we came to your rescue, sir."

"I'll forgive you both since you saved me back there. That cursed manager even has handcuffs. Look at these!"

"That manager sure is feisty." The man with a bat says.

"Well, we got what the boss wanted done so now we gotta return this girl to them, right?" Tarou unlocks the card door beside Koemi. "If they want her back, we'll give her back!"

Tarou tells the man with a bat who was sitting beside him to open the door and once the door was open, he kicks Koemi out of the car. Her body rolls on the asphalt road several times before it stops.

"EIKA!" Madoka shouts as she recognizes the clothes on the body.

She and Ranmaru stopped going after the car and went over to Eika. She quickly carries Eika's body and puts her down on the sidewalk gently. Very worried about her condition, she removes the binds on her wrists and the bag over her head. She sees her face covered in bruises and blood coming from her mouth; even the inside of the bag that was put over her head had blood. The two were rendered speechless due to Eika's condition.

"What…what did they do to her?!" Madoka checks the other parts of her body and sees bruises and cuts all over her. As she looks at Eika's injuries, several unpleasant thoughts run thru her head. She puts her ear against Eika's chest. "She's still alive! Thank god! Her breathing is faint; we should get her to a hospital immediately!"

Madoka takes her phone out and tries to dial the hospital number but her hands keep on shaking.

Ranmaru takes her phone off of her hands. "I'll dial. You need to calm down. She's alive and she'll heal; we'll give her all the help she needs. I'll help as much as I can; I won't leave her side."

Madoka nods and looks at Eika. Nao catches up with them and starts to lick Eika's face gently and rub his face against hers the minute he sees her.

An ambulance arrives minutes after Ranmaru's call.

* * *

*beep…beep…beep…beep*

…Such an annoying sound; it reminds me of the hospital. The cold temperature, the smell of disinfectants, the quiet and gloomy atmosphere—I don't really like hospitals. What the hell happened? Ah, I was beaten up pretty badly by those guys. I don't remember much since I had a bag over my head the whole time; I wish I could have seen their faces for future reference. I can't lift my arms or legs; they hurt a lot. I feel like my guts were crushed; whoever kicked me is dead when I find him.

I tried to open my eyes but they were heavy and hurt. I slowly tried to open them and the light slowly came into my vision. The ceiling comes into view; it's a little blurry and so I slowly blink a couple of times till my vision clears up.

Fudge, I really am in a hospital. I am absolutely sure. This is definitely an oxygen mask on my face and I can feel the IV needle in my arm. I. Hate. Hospitals. Sigh. I want to go home. I feel a weight on my legs that could be Nao sleeping on me.

II look on my left side and see a heart monitor and an IV bag. There was a small table beside my bed; my phone and a pack of animal crackers were there. I then turn my head to the right and see Kurosaki sleeping on the chair beside the bed; his head rests on his arm that was on the bigger table beside him.

"K…u…rosa…" It's kind of hard to talk; my throat is dry and I feel like I have no strength in me. I try to lift my arm. It's a little painful but it's bearable. With some effort I get to reach his shoulder and place my hand on it.

It wakes him up and he yawns; he did say that he's a light sleeper. He looks over to me and his eyes pop wide open in surprise. He takes my hand on his shoulder and gently put it down on my side.

"You're finally awake." He says.

"Goo…d morn…ing."

"Huh? Your throat must be dry. I'll get ya some water."

"Hn."

"I don't know if you're allowed to sit up so you'll have to drink with a straw. Here."

He holds the glass near me and holds the straw to my mouth. The water soothes my throat and makes me feel better.

"Thanks." I tell him as he takes away the glass and straw after I finished the whole glass.

"No prob."

I'm caught off guard when he suddenly takes a tissue and wipes the side of my mouth. He casually did it without saying anything.

He throws the tissue away. "Hold on for a moment. I was told to call the doctor and Rukawa when you wake up. I'll be back."

I nodded at him and in return he pats my head.

He's so gentle that I'm starting to doubt if that's really him or if I'm really awake; maybe I'm at the gates of heaven or purgatory. Sigh.

He returns in a while with a doctor and Madoka.

Madoka frantically goes to my side and looks at me; her worried face was different from the one I knew.

"Koemi, you're finally awake! Thank god! I was worried of the possibility that you wouldn't wake up!"

Huh?

My face expresses a little bit of confusion but I think, based on Madoka's words, that I was unconscious for some time I guess.

"If you're wondering, you were unconscious for four days. Today is the fifth day—the day you woke up." Ranmaru says.

"I was unconscious for that long?!"

"Please do not move too suddenly or too much, your body is still healing." The doctor says.

"Oh! Hi, doc! It's been a while since we last saw each other." He's the same doctor that helped me with my last injury.

"This is not something you should be taking lightly with that half-assed attitude of yours, Koemi!" Madoka angrily says at me. "This is five times worse than the injury you had last time! Do you understand that?! Your injuries this time are more extensive and I thought for a second that you could have been dead when we got you back!"

"Rukawa." Ranmaru puts his hand on Madoka's shoulder. "I think you should go get some air and cool down a little."

"You may be right. I'll come back in a while." Madoka leaves the room.

"Nakahara-san, your manager is right and you know it. You are in not a good state at the moment." The doctor says.

"…Yeah, I know. I'll apologize to her later when she comes back, doc."

"I'm happy to hear that. I'll check your injuries for now and see if there's anything wrong with some parts of your body such as reaction and movement."

Kurosaki steps out of the room before the doctor examines me; Nao follows him out of the room. The doctor moves my arms and legs in different directions to see if it would hurt. He touches certain parts too to check if it would hurt such as the back sides of my limbs and the badly hurt areas of my torso such as my stomach and back. He checks the bruises and cuts to see if they are healing well and if they are in need of special attention.

"Everything is healing well but they still seem to be hurtful to touch or move for you. Thankfully you have no broken bones and your organs are in okay condition; they weren't badly damaged. You need a lot of rest and some time to heal. We'll give you some medicines that will help you heal better and we'll prescribe you some pain killers which you are only allowed to drink if you experience excruciating pain; you are not allowed to drink them if you are only experience low level pain or the tolerable kind of pain."

"Okay."

"We'll remove the oxygen mask and oxygen tank since you're conscious now and it seems that you do not have difficulty in breathing."

"Okay."

"You can start eating regular food once you finish this IV bag but since it's a new refill, it may last for the rest of the day."

"When will I be discharged, doc?"

"It depends on your healing process. As of now, I doubt you can even walk since your legs are beaten up pretty badly. Your arms are also too weak to carry out some of your regular actions such as carrying things and holding or gripping objects. We'll also have to monitor you for a while because you might have other injuries or problems that we haven't found yet due to your bruises covering your body."

"In other words, I'm going to be here for quite a while."

The doctor nods.

"Am I allowed to sit up or to like get out of bed?"

"Currently you can but unable to do so on your own. You'll have to ask a nurse or someone to help you; move slowly. If you need to go to the toilet, you'll need assistance. You'll have sponge baths for now until your wounds and bruises heal some more. If you want to go around the hospital or to go out for some fresh air around the premises, you'll have to use a wheelchair."

"I'll remember that, doc. Thanks."

"Ah. By the way, before I forget, you should also thank that friend of yours. Your manager showed me a bag that was put over your head and the inside of the bag had a lot of blood stains. You actually lost a hefty amount of blood from being beaten up; you threw up quite an amount. Your friend was luckily the same blood type as you and so he donated some of his blood for you when you were in the ER."

"…"

"I'm done with your examination so I'll leave you for now to rest. If you need anything or if you feel ill or any pain, feel free to call the nurse with that button."

"Yes, doc."

Once the doctor left, Nao and Ranmaru came back inside.

*meow*

"Hey there, Nao; it's good to see you."

He rubs himself against my hand and lies down on the bed by my shoulder.

"If you need anything, just say so and I'll see what I can do about it." Kurosaki says.

"Doc said that I can sit up. Can you help me? I can't carry y own weight well yet and he said to move slowly."

"Alright. Let's get you sittin' up. Here's the remote that controls the bed's position. Move this side of the bed upward so that you can sit." He puts one arm across my shoulders to help support my back and the other arm under my knees to help them push me up and to bend slowly. "Tell me if you feel pain anywhere and I'll adjust."

I nod as I press the button to adjust the bed up and try to move up with whatever strength I've got left. He puts my pillow on my back to provide support the moment that we got my body to sit up.

"You okay?"

"Yup, this is good. Thanks."

Nao then lies down on my lap. I pat his head and hear him purring.

Kurosaki sits down on the chair beside the bed and I notice that he avoids eye contact. He places his elbow on the table beside him and rests his chin on his hand.

"Uh. Hey, Kurosaki."

"Yeah?"

"The doctor told me that you donated some blood to me when I needed it. Thank you for that. Like, really, thank you."

"…It was nothing." He says without looking my way.

"You know, you're being too nice that it's creeping me out. Creepy monkey."

"What did you call me?!" He says angrily as he looks at me.

"Ah, that's the monkey that I know."

"I wish I got the chance to beat you up, stupid kid."

"You wouldn't stand a chance against me, *tsundere monkey."

"Grrr. I shouldn't have bought that pack of animal crackers for ya then."

"It's from you? I thought Madoka was the one who bought it."

"Hmph."

An awkward silence fills the room; it's so quiet that Nao's purring sounds louder than it really is.

"Is something wrong, Kurosaki? You're acting really different and you're really quiet. I'm kinda getting worried about ya. If you're sick too, the doc can help you."

"I ain't sick."

"Then what's up?"

He sighs deeply and then crosses his arms. "The guy that's been stalking you was a guy named Yamada Tarou; he's a member of a yakuza group that I know."

"You know yakuza people? Were you like a part of one before? I bet you were a lackey."

"I was never a part of any yakuza group, idiot. The yakuza group that Yamada Tarou was a member of was the yakuza group that a colleague of my dad got involved with that ended up having my dad's business, well the family business, fall apart and close down. The debt of the company fell on my dad's shoulders and he worked so hard that he died. Then I had to leave my mom and little sister to become an idol to pay off the rest of the debt."

I was surprised with his story. I do know that his family was like the Jinguuji and Hijirikawa families until their business crumbled but I didn't know that his father died from overwork and that he's the one paying the debt off now.

"My dad died because of his colleague's betrayal and because of that yakuza group; he worked hard to the bone. I just couldn't believe that I'd see Tarou again; he was the one who worked with my dad's colleague. That piece of shit hasn't changed one bit. When Rukawa and I caught him, I thought that I'd finally get to see him behind bars but he still got away just like in the past. I feel irritated that he's still out there somewhere still working for the yakuza and victimizing other people. It's disgusting."

"I see. Uhm, I'm sorry about your dad; condolence. It must have been hard since then, huh?"

"It was but things have gotten better after becoming an idol. I get to earn a good amount while doing something that I like and I get to challenge and improve myself. I'm paying off part of the debt gradually and I'm sure that one day I'll get to pay it fully. I just have to keep working hard."

"How are your mom and sister?"

"They're fine. Both of them are back at home where I'm from. I send them some money every month to help them out and we do keep in touch."

"Cool. That's cool."

"…Yeah."

"When was the last time you saw them?"

"Around five years ago when they both came to Tokyo during my sister's winter break."

"I'm curious about your sister. What's she like?"

"She's smart, responsible, and cute."

"You sound like such a proud older brother."

"I'll show you a picture of her next time; it's at the apartment."

"I'll look forward to it! I wanna hear stories about her too and about your mom. Hmm since you told me something about yourself, I'll tell ya somethin' about me. I guess I'll start off with my actual name. My name is Nakahara Koemi; you probably found that out after I got into this hospital. Hmm, what next? What do ya wanna know? I'll let you ask three things about me."

"Do you keep in touch with your family?"

"I don't. Well, I think it's more like I don't have a family to keep in touch with anymore. My parents are dead and I'm an only child. Hmm, I've never had a chance to meet my relatives because they all lived far. Ah, but I've met and got close with my aunt—my mother's older sister. Because of certain circumstances though, I don't know where she is now and the last time I talked to her was the day before I moved to the apartment building."

"Wait, your parents are dead? Do you mind me asking what happened?"

"I don't mind; I can talk about it. When I was in junior high school, my parents asked me to buy some vegetables to cook for dinner so I stepped out for a short while. When I got back to the house, it was up in flames; fire trucks and fire fighters were everywhere and the neighbours were all panicking. I was told that a house a few blocks away had a short circuit and because of the windy weather, the wind helped the fire spread across houses fast. In one night, I almost completely lost my house and lost my parents. Yasuko and her parents took me in and I lived with them until my house got repaired and after my parents' death ceremony. I lived alone in my house ever since then but my aunt would visit whenever she could which was rare."

"…You had some heavy stuff happen to ya in the past; a lot of heavy stuff. I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah, life can be cruel." I pat Nao's head and back. "Makes ya wonder how it could become crueller."

He doesn't say anything in return for a while.

"So what's question number two, *Sarumaru?"

He looks at me with a blank death stare. I flash him a bright smile in return.

"So?" I wait in anticipation.

"If you really want me to ask something then I wanna know what's up with you and the yakuza group; that's somethin' worth listening to. This isn't the first time you got involved with them. I'm willing to bet that they're the same group that you got in trouble with at your old friend's house and that the story you told me before isn't the end of things."

I smile at him. "Ahhh. So that's your second question, huh? Interesting! So on to the next question—"

"Don't give me that crap! You said you were gonna answer whatever I asked!"

" , sir!"

"Go on."

"Now, where do I start though?" I run my hand thru Nao's fur; he's sleeping soundly. "Since you know the thing that happened with Yasuko and then the one with Yasuko's parents, I'll skip all that. The thing is, uh, the yakuza group swiped me away with a bag over my head and brought me to their current big boss and then the big boss said that he was getting revenge for what I did to their group in the past. Uh, then they're now trying to make me cough out some money and if I don't...hm…bad shit is gonna happen. After they beat me till I lost consciousness, they probably tried to drop me off at the place where they picked me up from the street; that's just a guess though since I was already unconscious by that time. Then here I am in a hospital bed stuck with Nao and Sarumaru."

Kurosaki puts his hand on his face. It's so fascinating to see him contain his anger; it's funny to watch.

"You said that the boss of the group is getting his revenge. What does he mean by that?"

"If I answer that, it'll be your last question."

"There's a store that has good cream puffs near the studio that Quartet Night practices at. I'll buy you a box if you answer the question for free."

"Deal." I said immediately as I try giving him a thumb up. "I grant the free question; you can ask one more after I answer this."

"You're easy to bribe with food; you remind me of someone I know. I'll buy you the cream puffs tomorrow when I drop by here after work."

"Hmph. Can't you buy them today?"

"You won't be able to eat them anyway since you're still on IV."

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Damn it. Okay, I'll be patient and wait for tomorrow to come. Hmph."

"How the hell could you forget that you've got an IV on ya."

I look at Kurosaki with an annoyed glare.

"I'm shutting up."

"Good. The revenge that the big boss was referring to was the time when I fought against them when I was younger." I think for a moment but continue on anyway. "I guess there's no way that I can answer your question without mentioning this so I'll just go right ahead and say it—I was part of a yakuza group back then; the boss was my aunt. When the bad yakuza group became big and victimized people across different neighbourhoods and cities, my aunt and her group stepped in to stop them going any further. I was recruited into her group after my parents died and she trained me since I was going to live alone since she can't exactly just leave her turf and group any time she wants to. So I went thru all that initiation stuff and became the youngest and one of the most dangerous members in her group. When we fought the bad yakuza group, I was used as a secret table turning weapon; she didn't let me attack with the front liners and made me wait until the front liners couldn't take any more damage. When I was told to attack, my aunt's group made me go at the enemy alone and I was able to take down a little more than half of the group by myself. Auntie told me to stop and made the others take care of the rest. It was a good thing though that she stopped me because if she didn't I might have taken them all down by myself hahaha. Auntie's group successfully wiped off almost the whole group; some of them were able to escape since they ran away with their boss while Auntie's members were busy. Things were really wild during tha—"

"Your aunt is a yakuza leader and you took out half of a yakuza group?! What on earth are you?!"

"Yup. Ah, but their group isn't evil though; they usually protect neighbourhoods and help people. It's interesting that her group does volunteer work and charity activities and even helps out in festivals which are fun!"

"…The hell?!"

"But beware though, if ya get on Auntie's bad side then I'm pretty sure ya ain't gonna survive." I say with a smile.

"But why are they targeting you and not your aunt?"

"That's probably because I'm the reason why they lost. If I didn't participate in that battle, Auntie's group would have lost for sure. During that time, Auntie was injured so she couldn't really fight but she was prepared to if it was really needed. Her followers were strong but they weren't enough to match the number of followers the other group had; they were totally out numbered. When I took down half of the enemy's group, that levelled the battlefield and so Auntie won. The enemy is probably trying to use me as a way to hit two birds with one stone—they get rid of me and get a part of their revenge and at the same time it'll hurt Auntie a lot. They know well that I ain't gonna pay them a single yen but I can't simply fight back either because of becoming an idol. Such a cowardly tactic if you ask me."

"You've got to be more careful from now on then."

"Just a little more than usual. They can't simply attack me as often or openly either since it'll get the authority's attention. They may have returned but their group isn't as strong and big as before so they still kind of need to lie low. As long they don't try anything that'll affect my career or the children at Kurushima hospital, then everythin' will be fine. If they make one small move on any of those, I'll just have to make my move."

"Eika, don't tell me you're gonna fight against them again."

"Why not? If I took them down before, I can do it again. I was a little demon and I'm pretty sure I still am inside; I'll gladly shed blood if it's for the things and people I care about."

He suddenly grabs my arm and leans a little bit towards me. "Listen, you should learn to pick your fights. If you're going to go against them while being in a state like this then you're just going to commit suicide. If you really care about the things and people you have right now, you're not going to let yourself become like this again or become worse even if it's for their sake."

"Hey, I didn't notice at first but looking at you as close as this, you look kinda pale. Are you okay?"

He releases my arm and puts distance between us. "I'm just tired; I've been comin' here after work every day to help out in looking after you and Nao."

"You can go home if you want to since I'm awake and all. Besides, Madoka is here and I could always just have a nurse come over."

"Nah, I'll go home later. I can still stick around here a little longer."

"If you say so, Sarumaru."

"Ugly kid."

"Banana brain."

"Careless prick."

"Tch. What's your last question gonna be?"

"Do you think you'll be free on a Friday night about three months from now?"

"How should I know? But I think I'll be free as long as I don't get a special project and if it won't be too busy back at Kurushima Hospital.

"Alright. Take this then." He puts a piece of paper in my hand. "If you're free, you can go."

"Eh? A concert ticket? Ah! You're gonna have a solo concert?!"

"Yeah, the agency set me up one. I agreed to do it since I don't really have a choice but it'll be fun."

"I'll definitely go! Even if I have work, I'll wrap things up as quickly as I can."

"You don't have to force it, ya know."

"I know but I will anyway. You gave me a ticket for free and it's even VIP; of course I'll go! It's hard to get a ticket to your concerts since they always sell out fast and I kinda wanna see how you perform live."

"If you ever get your own concert, I'll go."

"Really? Thanks! I dunno if they'll give me any complimentary tickets since it'll be my first concert but if they do, I'll give you one!"

"They usually set a few tickets as complimentary so I think you'll have some."

"Hey, hey, hey, since we're getting friendlier towards each other, wanna use nicknames?" I ask enthusiastically.

"Nicknames? What are you—"

"Ran, Ran-Ran, Kuro, Masaki, Mari, Maru, Saru, Sarumaru—"

"Stop. Just stop right there. I ain't gonna let you call me with those kinds of names."

"But I'm really leaning towards the Sarumaru nickname."

"Oh please don't. Don't you dare."

"Fineee. I'll just call you Ranmaru. Hmph."

"I can tolerate that."

"What will you call me?"

"I'll just call you the way the kids at the hospital call you. It's Emi, isn't it?"

"Ah, so you're going with that. Hmm, I guess it's alright. You sure you don't want me to call you Sarumaru?"

"No. Definitely no."

I chuckle at his reaction. He's kind of cute when he sulks; his childish side is funny.

"Ranmaru, about the stuff I told ya today, could you keep it a secret from Madoka?"

He scratches his head a little. "Well, I think it won't be possible this time 'cause—"

The hospital room door suddenly slams open, shocking both Kurosaki and I.

"M-Madoka?!"

A wild and angry Madoka suddenly appears and is slowly coming over to my side.

"R-Ranmaru, I think I'm about to die. Please get me out of here."

"Nothing I can do now."

"W-What?" You're just gonna let her get me?! Huhu.

Madoka suddenly slams her hands on the side railings of the hospital bed. Her eyes are lookin' at me with some sort of scary vibe.

"H-Hi." That's all I could come up with…

"Ko-e-mi. HOW DARE YOU THINK OF KEEPING SUCH INFORMATION FROM ME."

"W-Wait! What?! How'd you?!"

I look at Kurosaki and then he shows me his phone. The screen shows Madoka's name and that it was on an ongoing call.

"…You traitor."

"She made me do it. She bribed and threatened me; I didn't really have a choice."

Madoka got him too, huh. Poor guy.

"HOW DARE YOU THINK OF KEEPING ME IN THE DARK?! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO TELL ME SUCH THINGS! WHY IS IT THAT YOU DON'T TELL ME ANYTHING AS IMPORTANT AS THOSE THINGS?! I'M SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING AFTER YOUR WELFARE AND SAFETY AS YOUR MANAGER AND AS YOUR FRIEND! AM I THAT INCOMPETENT OR UNRELIABLE IN YOUR EYES?! IS YOUR TRUST IN ME THAT LITTLE?!"

Her eyes were a little watery but she kept her stern and angry face.

"…Madoka, I don't think you're—"

"Then why?!"

"I don't know. I really don't know." I put my hand over one of hers. "I guess that maybe I didn't want to make you worry or care; if you did, then you'll just get involved and get hurt literally."

"Well keeping me in the dark didn't do anything right. It's impossible that I'd get involved in the first place as long as you'd be targeted. Besides, you really think I wouldn't start wondering about things after seeing you get hurt like this? Not to mention the fact you had that Yamada Tarou guy stalking you?"

"How'd you know his name?"

"When I first discovered him stalking you thru some really disgusting gifts and letters dropped into our mailbox, I did some research and I've been trying to catch him in any way I could; he got caught by one of the apartment building's CCTV cameras that I asked to be strategically placed. I asked Kumagai to look him up and he was able to send me a very informative and detailed report. It really took me by surprise to learn that he was a yakuza and it didn't help when Kurosaki told me that he knew him and was indeed a part of the yakuza."

"Ah, okay. So it was useless to hide it from you after all. You would have found out anyway." I chuckle a little. "I should have just told you from start then!" I say jokingly. "I'm sorry."

Madoka suddenly hits my head.

"Ouch! T-That freakin' hurt! Who in the right mind would hit someone who's hospitalized?!"

"Oh shut up and deal with it! You caused me more pain by worrying and working hard to take care of an idiot like you!"

"But…but I'm not just any kind of idiot! I'm your idiot, idiot!"

"That's right!" She then suddenly hugs me.

"M-M-Madoka, I know you mean no harm b-but you're kind of hurting me. Ack! It…It hurts! Let go off me!"

"Shut up and deal with it! I'm hugging you longer!"

"Ack!"

"Congratulations on your reconciliation, you two." Ranmaru says as he just sits back and watches Madoka and me.

"We'll have fried chicken from your favorite chicken place tomorrow for lunch, Koemi. I promise you that after I come back from the agency tomorrow."

"Yay! I like that!"

"Don't forget to tell the kid about the current situation, Rukawa."

"Oh yes! Koemi, currently the agency knows that you are here in this hospital but I didn't tell them what really happened. I told them that you got involved in an accident during your morning walk; the doctor knows about this so he's lying on our behalf. It was released to the public that you are currently recovering from an accident so that your fans and the public won't get suspicious of your condition; don't worry, we didn't release to the press which hospital you're in. Kumagai helped me investigate around the district where you got kidnapped and returned; there weren't a lot of witnesses to the event so that's an advantage for us but also a disadvantage in a way such as in finding out the identities of the other two who were with Yamada Tarou."

"So that's the story I'll have to go with? Okay, I got it—Argh." I hold onto my stomach area all of a sudden.

Ranmaru and Madoka suddenly become very worried about me.

"Are you alright, Koemi?" Madoka asks.

I shake my head. "I-I don't think so…"

"What's wrong?! Shall I call for a nurse?"

"No…need…Urgh. I just need you, Madoka. Could you do something for me?"

"Of course! What do you need me to do?!"

"Please bring me to the toilet; I really really need to pee."

"…That's it?"

"What do you expect? Huhu. I can't even stand up on my own. Won't you help me please? I really need to pee."

"Okay, okay, okay. I'm going to carry you. Kurosaki, you push the IV stand; don't let it get too far from Koemi or else the needle in her hand might come off."

"Roger that, Rukawa."

The two of them work together to get me into the toilet room. I'm just relieved that the IV needle didn't come off; I'd hate to have the nurse or doctor to try and put it back. Urgh. Kurosaki transfers the IV bag from its stand and onto a hook placed near and above the toilet.

"Do you want me to stay in here with you?" Madoka asks.

"No need! I can do this on my own; thanks for bringing me here! I would have crawled if you weren't around!"

"I'll wait outside by the door. I won't lock the door just in case you need help."

"Okay, thanks. Now please leave me to use the toilet! I won't be able to hold it any longer!"

"Yes!"

Madoka immediately leaves and closes the door.

"Finally, now I can stop pretending."

In truth, I didn't need to use the toilet at all. I just needed a place to be by myself because the pain had become too much all over my body. I refuse to show my suffering in front of them because everything was in a fairly good mood; I don't want to ruin the moment and make them worry more than they already have.

"Urgh…It hurts…"

Right here I can writhe in pain, say that it hurts, frown upon my suffering, and grunt as much as I want. I'll smile and laugh as much as I can as long as I am in front of them.

"Are you alright in there, Koemi?"

"I'm fine! Looks like I'll be in here for a while."

"Okay, take your time."

"Yeah, I will."

* * *

*tsundere = a person who acts cold or mean but then gradually becomes gentler or nicer towards a person.  
*Saru = monkey


	16. Chapter 15: Comfortable

**Chapter 15: Comfortable**

Sigh.

This is the reason why I haven't been able to sleep properly—this kid.

" …nugh…grhmn…"

There she goes again. Every night she's been like this. She would make sounds and move around a little in her sleep; I found it annoying at first but I've come to notice that she's probably like this because her injuries are hurting. Rukawa pointed out that she's never seen Emi express her pain when we're around but when Rukawa asked the nurse about her, the nurse told Rukawa that she's been writhing in pain and refuses to take pain killers even when the doctor says that she can. She was suppose to be able to go home last week and rest at home but she lost her appetite gradually and suddenly vomited some blood last week then the doctor re-examined her and found internal injuries; she wasn't in a condition to return home.

"Hngh…arghn…"

Seeing her like this, I feel sorry for her. It doesn't make things better that we can't do much for her situation. This experience better make her stay away from fighting in the near future.

"Urgh…hngh…"

I take her hand and squeeze it tightly. Just like the previous days, she squeezes back my hand with all her strength; it somehow helps her cope with the pain unconsciously. This started when I tried to calm her down the first time she had a fit in her sleep. When she grabbed my arm, she squeezed it really tight but it helped her calm down or cope to a degree. It kind of reminds me of a kid having a nightmare.

Rukawa hasn't been able to come to the hospital lately because of Saotome. She does come on Fridays and Saturdays without fail but I still end up staying longer than before here in the hospital for the other days.

* * *

"Good morning, Kurosaki. Hm? Kurosaki, wake up. Hey! Wake up! You'll be late for Quartet Night's practice session if you don't catch the next train!"

"Hmn…Huh? What?"

"Wake up, Kurosaki! You'll be late for your practice session!"

Rukawa shakes me around even harder. It feels like I was put on a vibrating chair on maximum setting; I'm getting nauseous.

"Arghn. I'm awake! I'm awake!"

"You overslept again; you're going to be late for QN's practice at the studio."

I quickly stand up from the chair I was sitting on and quickly put on my jacket. "Damn it! Thanks for waking me up! I'm gonna go!"

"Good luck reaching the studio on time!"

"Yeah! I'll be back tonight!"

I close the door carefully and dash thru the hallway. I hear a nurse scolding me but I've got no time to apologize.

"I should thank Kurosaki for helping out when he comes back; due to my duties at the agency and involvement with the search for the yakuza group, I haven't been able to stay by Koemi's side often."

"Ma…Madoka?"

"Oh, good morning."

"Oh my gosh…you really are here. I thought I was just hearing voices."

"I'm here and I'll be staying for the rest of the day; I got to finish a lot of work yesterday so I can spare a day."

"That's good news! Uh, can you help me go to the toilet? Nature is calling."

"Sigh, here we go. Hold onto me tightly or else you'll fall."

"Thanks!"

Carefully, Madoka helps Koemi get out of bed. Upon standing, Koemi holds onto Madoka's arms as they walk slowly towards the toilet.

"Are you sure you don't want to use the wheelchair?"

"I don't want to. I only want to use it when going around the hospital; using it to get to the toilet is too much of a bother since I have to struggle sitting down then standing up again so I'd just rather walk to the toilet with a little help."

"Okay. I brought you a cup of ice cream and some animal crackers."

Koemi looks at Madoka with sparkling eyes filled with joy. "You are heaven sent, Madoka-sama!"

"…Stop that. It's disturbing."

"Yes, Madoka-sama."

Koemi continued to have a smile on her face and sparkles in her eyes despite Madoka's request to stop.

"As usual, don't lock the door and call for me if you feel any pain or need help."

"Yup."

Madoka closes the door.

"I should take out the snacks while waiting for her; they won't prepare themselves."

As Madoka was setting the snacks that were for Koemi on the table beside Koemi's hospital bed, she sees a piece of paper under Koemi's cell phone. She picks it up to take a look.

"So Kurosaki invited her to go to his concert? I should take note of this date and make sure that she's free. It would be a waste for the both of them if she doesn't get to use this ticket. The concert will also be an educational experience for Koemi if she wishes to hold her own concert in the future."

"Madoka? I'm done. I wanna get out of the toilet now."

"Alright. I'm coming."

"Madoka, I was thinking while using the can and I kind of want to go around or something after eating with you. Could you help me get on the wheelchair?"

"Okay, sure. Where do you plan to go?"

"Maybe the rooftop to get some air or I could just go around the different floors and wings of the hospital. I'm not allowed to go outside of the hospital building, right? I'm not allowed to open the curtains either of the window."

"Yes, you are not allowed to go out of the hospital or to stay near windows; we can't have people, especially the press, to know that you are here. The hospital was notified to have any information about you and your whereabouts kept secret; we are fortunate enough that you're blending well with the other patients leading to the others not recognizing you." Madoka pushes Koemi's wheelchair beside the bigger table. She then transfers the snacks from the table beside Koemi's hospital bed to the big table.

"I think it's just that I don't really interact with the other patients around here and I ain't wearin' my usual style either. I mostly talk to my doc, the nurses, and you and Ranmaru here in the hospital."

"Here's your spoon."

"Thanks."

"We can get some fresh air at the rooftop and perhaps go thru some hallways." Madoka opens her pudding and starts to eat it.

"I'm fine with that. How's Nao?"

"He's been well behaved at home. Lately he's been sleeping on your futon while you've been absent. He misses you."

"I miss him too."

"I can't bring him often here in the hospital since they don't really permit pets here."

"It's okay, I understand. Besides, I won't be able to play with him or do much since I can't even bring myself to get out of bed without struggling! He's better off at home. Has anything happened back at the apartment?"

"Nothing. Based on the security footages, there hasn't been anyone lurking around or inside the apartment building anymore and we haven't received any anonymous or weird letters or packages for the past days. It seems they have stopped harassing you from the apartment."

"That's a relief. It'll be a handful if they continued to send stuff and people back at home."

"I have a matter to discuss with you regarding the apartment. I think that it would be a safe and rational choice to move into a new apartment or home."

Koemi puts her spoon down and listens to Madoka more.

"Those people know where you live; it would be better to move away and have them lose sight of us. You may still be seen by the public eye in the future because of work but we can always trick them regarding where we live. So—"

"I'll think about it. I want to think about it first. Give me some time for now."

"But the decision to move is more—"

"I'll think about it."

"…Okay. To be fair, in the case that you decide to move, I'll wait for your answer until you get discharged. You approximately have two to three weeks of recovery; I'll wait until then."

Koemi nods. "By the way, could you check these out?" She goes over to her bed and takes out some papers from beneath her mattress. She then gives the papers to Madoka. "I wrote some songs since I had nothing better to do. Can you look over 'em and tell me what you think?"

"I'd gladly check these." Madoka looks at her for a moment. "Koemi, you have crumbs on the side of your mouth."

"Ah, damn it. I must have seemed uncool. Not cool at all. Hmph."

Madoka smiles briefly as she watches her wipe her mouth childishly. She thought to herself that it's admirable how Koemi could still afford to behave this way and still be herself despite her current situation. However, she wondered as well if this is just her way of hiding her uneasiness. She brushes the thought out of her head as she chooses to believe in Koemi's strong will and calmness.

"NOOOOO!"

"What?! What's wrong, Koemi?!"

"The penguin…"

"Excuse me?"

"The penguin biscuit…I accidentally broke the head off before eating it…"

Madoka puts her elbow on the table and buries her face in her hand. "You have a bad habit of making such little things seem like a big problem. You're really good at giving heart attacks."

"Hehehe! Sorry about that. I haven't eaten these kinds of biscuits in a long while. They may be my favorite but I don't buy them often. If I keep buyin' them, I get worried about getting tired of them. Besides, it kind of feels special to have and eat them when you don't eat them often!"

"Your simple mindedness can be quite interesting."

"You think so? Hey! I want to go out for a drive already huhu."

"A drive?"

"Well I can't exactly say 'walk', right?"

"Oh, I see. Okay, where do you want to go first?"

"Let's go to the roof right away! I can't wait to breathe in some real air; I'm so tired of the hospital smell."

* * *

Ai checks his cell phone for the time. "It's almost time for practice to start and yet Ranmaru isn't here yet. Lately his tardiness has been increasing."

"That monkey is truly an idiot for becoming negligent."

"Who are you callin' a monkey, Count Blahcula?!"

Camus turn around towards the voice and in a blink of an eye, he is greeted with a banana thrown at his face.

"Pfft." Reiji does his best to contain his laughter as Camus is frozen in shock and confusion.

"I ain't late! I'm exactly on time!" Ranmaru points at his wristwatch while catching his breath from running.

"He isn't wrong. Congratulations on making it on time today." Ai says.

"Ranran is amazing! Woohoo!" Reiji hugs Ranmaru from the back.

"Oi! Let go of me!" Ranmaru tries to get Reiji's arms off of him.

"Whaaa! Ranran doesn't love me anymoreee! He's trying to escape my arms!"

"What the hell are ya talkin' about?! Who'd love a fool like you?! Get off of me!"

"Whaaa! Ranran hurt my feelings! Whaaa! Ai-Ai, Ranran hurt my poor heart!"

"Un." Ai nods as he continues reading the book in his hands.

"Hnghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Even Ai-Ai has put me aside. Huhu. Myu-chan, you're my only—"

"Keep your hands to yourself if you wish to live for the next thirty seconds." Camus says coldly.

"I am an unloved cinnamon roll!"

"Reiji, the staffs are staring. Compose yourself."

"Hug me, Ai-Ai." He opens his arms wide.

Ai's expression scrunches a little but hugs him anyway in attempt to satisfy him and to have the practice session start as soon as possible.

"Ai-Ai still loves me deep inside! I'm so happy! I feel so touched!"

"Hngh. Reiji, stop crying already and get a hold of yourself."

Ai walks towards the practice room with Reiji hugging him from behind, refusing to release him. Reiji seemed like a huge backpack for Ai.

"He's looking like a clingy koala or somethin' like that. I hope his weight ain't taking a toll on Ai." Ranmaru says.

"What matters now is that we can start practicing. Where have you been coming from for the past days? You seem to be either late or just barely on time; you are usually early."

"What does is matter to you? You should be more concerned of catching diabetes with all the sugar you've been gobbling down."

Camus strikes his head. "That's not how one obtains diabetes, monkey! Hm? Your scent is particular."

"Eh? Are ya sayin' I stink?! What would ya expect from a guy who ran here?!"

"That's not what I was referring to. You have the scent of disinfectants like those they use in hospitals. Have you been to one lately?"

"Hngh. You must be imagining things. Maybe your sugar level is messing with you—Ouch! Stop hitting me!"

"Shall we proceed to practice, monkey?"

"Whatever. I'm gonna save my energy for practice instead of biting ya."

"Your palette would not be capable of appreciating my flavor anyway."

"The only flavor you've got is pure sugar. Yuck."

Camus crosses his arms and calmly stands on front of Ranmaru. Without a word and with just a calm blank expression on his face, he kicks Ranmaru's knee with brute force. He looks at Ranmaru right in the eyes before walking away quietly.

Due to the trauma, Ranmaru did not move nor utter a single word. However, deep inside, his soul was screaming one word with all its might—"Bastard!"

* * *

"It seems the weather today is rather cool."

"Yeah. There're a lot of fluffy white clouds in the sky. They remind me of cotton candy."

"Haha. I suppose so. Let's move to over there, shall we?"

Madoka pushes Koemi's wheelchair until they both were in the middle portion of the rooftop. The weather was cool and the sky was not too bright that one could stare into the clouds. The wind was tame and gentle.

"Look! The rooftop has a fence all around it. It won't be possible to throw yourself off the roof, no?"

"Unless patients or people could climb over such a high fence, then certainly no one could fall off of the hospital's roof."

"It would be great to have a kite right here right now."

"The kite would just fly away from your hands"

"Hmph. Pessimistic much, aren't you Mana?"

"Mana?"

"Ah, it's a nickname I've decided to call you by; it's shorter than calling you Madoka. If you don't like it, just say so; I can always come up with another one."

"I'm fine whether you use that name to refer to me or not; feel free to call me whatever name you'd like as long as it isn't derogatory or insulting."

"Mana."

"Yes?"

"Mana."

"Yes? What is it?"

"Mana."

"What do you want?!"

I chuckle at her reaction. "Hahaha. 'Mana' is almost like saying 'Mama'—it suits you too well that it's funny!"

"…I have no idea how to react to that but I'm not old enough to be a mother if you ask me."

"If you're gonna have a child and you're going to be strict on the child like you are to me, I'd feel bad for the child." I say playfully.

"You think too evil of me. I'm just doing what's best for you and the agency."

"Yes, mother."

"Don't call me mother. You're not my child." Mana says seriously.

"Oh no! My mother disowns me! What shall I do?" I say playfully.

Mana and I look at each other and then burst out laughing.

"You must have been a troublesome child to take care of when your parents were still alive." She pats my head and messes up my hair a little.

"You're not giving me enough credit! I was an obedient and good delinquent!"

We both laugh.

*ring ring ring ring*

"Hm? It's a call from the office. I'll just answer this for a moment."

"Sure, no problem."

Mana goes over to one corner of the rooftop to answer her business call. I lean backwards on my wheelchair's back rest and stare at the sky—it's really beautiful.

Ah, I should take a picture; this is a really good sight…or maybe I just haven't been able to look up and appreciate the sky often since I'm usually busy with work and I'm mostly indoors. Either way, this sky right here is great.

I take my phone out of my pocket and patiently take a picture of the sky with the fluffy clouds.

"This looks good. It looks good enough to be used as a wallpaper or something like that. Haha."

I start writing a short message and attach the picture file of the sky before sending it. Before I knew it, I started to hum as I watched the sky. I feel calm but I know that this is just the calm before the storm. When I get discharged and get healed up, I'm going to end things once and for all. And I'll also—

* * *

"Oh boy! Practice was intense today!" Reiji says as he wipes his sweat away. "It's a good thing we were able to ask to cut today's practice into half the day; I don't think I would have survived if we did a whole day practice with this intensity!"

"That is true. Today's practice was more vigorous than the one before however it seems we have greatly progressed; we'll perfect our routines soon." Ai says.

"This would be the perfect time to have a cup of tea." Camus says. "Perhaps a slice of cake would be good as well."

"Hold on there, Myu-chan. You'll upset your stomach that way! You have to eat a proper meal first before you can eat cake."

"It has never bothered me before therefore I believe I will be alright." Camus says.

"Ranmaru, you seem to be busy with your phone. Have you found a game you like?" Ai goes over to Ranmaru and looks at his phone. "Oh, you are communicating with a woman."

Reiji and Camus suddenly appear behind Ranmaru as well and look over his phone.

"He is messaging with a woman." Camus says.

"This is interesting! The woman hater is communicating with a girl! Is she a pretty girl? Do you meet her often? Who is this Emi-chan?"

"What the hell is wrong with you guys?! Have you all got no sense of privacy?!"

Reiji puts his hands on Ranmaru's shoulders and says in a serious tone, "Ranran. Listen. Quartet Night is your family and as your family, we have the right to invade your privacy!—Ow!"

Ranmaru hits Reiji's head. "What nonsense are ya spoutin' this time?!"

"Awww come on, Ranran! I want to know more of this! I've never seen you keep contact with a girl before aside from your sister and mom! I want in on this!"

"You're gonna get killed one day for sticking your nose in other people's business."

"Tell me who this Emiiiiiii is. Is she cute? Does she have a sister? Can we meet her? I want to knowwwwww. Pleaseeeee. Ranrannnnnn."

"Reiji has degenerated into the level of a little child once again. Sigh." Ai says as he crosses his arms.

"Oh come on, Ai-Ai! Give me more credit! I just want to play cupid for my beloved friends! I mean, it worked out with you and Kaori right? I might as well put Ranran on the line too with this Emi-chan person!"

"I dread the day this man would dote on my social life." Camus says in irritation.

"Don't worry, Myu-chan! I will be there for you too!" Reiji flashes Camus a bright and determined smile with a thumb up.

Camus just gives him his usual emotionless face before turning away.

"Ohhh! That's such a pretty picture of the sky." Reiji says as he points at Ranmaru's cell phone screen.

"Yeah, it sure is."

"Wha! Ranran is smiling! Did you guys see that?! HE'S SMILING OVER A PICTURE THAT'S NOT A CAT OR FOOD—Ouch!"

Ranmaru hits his head once again but with greater force.

"Would you just cut it out, old man?!"

"Ah! Ra…Ranran…those words hurt me more than your punch a while ago. I'm not that old!"

"Hmm. The picture is indeed very nice; the angle was well planned." Ai says as he stands beside Ranmaru.

"Look at this one." Ranmaru swipes to the next picture. "It's also good."

Ai nods. "It is." He swipes the screen to the next picture. "Hm? So this is Emi. Isn't she—?"

"Ranran has a picture of Emi-chan?! Let me see it too!" Reiji says as he quickly goes over to Ranmaru and Ai.

"I am quite curious as well." Camus says.

"…Eh?" Reiji looks at Ranmaru with a stoned smile. "Isn't this Nakahara Koemi-chan?"

Ranmaru doesn't say anything and looks away from Reiji.

"Ranran." Reiji's smile widens. "You two have recently become close, huh? Right? Right?" He starts to tease Ranmaru by nudging him with his elbow.

"I believe that Koemi and you are working together due to Saotome putting you both in a duo unit." Ai says.

"Yeah, we were put into one unit. Emi—I mean the kid actually has some talent and she's been gettin' better these days."

Reiji smiles widely at him to which he looks away from with irritation.

"She's currently confined due to an accident; is she okay?" Ai asks genuinely.

Ranmaru scratches the back of his head with a hesitant expression. "She was hurt pretty badly but she's recovering so I think she's okay. It's kinda hard to say what her condition really is to be honest."

"How did you know that? Have you visited her in whichever hospital she was confined in?" Camus asks.

"WAIT DON'T TELL ME!" Reiji becomes even more animated. "Is she the reason why you've been late these days and leaving on time after practice?" His eyes start to sparkle.

"Well, he did smell like a hospital room for the past few days; it's faint but noticeable once you're near him before practice starts." Camus says.

"You three are really just too nosy, ya know? Get off of my back." Ranmaru says as he picks up his bag.

"Ranrannnn! Don't leave us without saying anything! Come onnnn! I'll cook meat the next time you come over to my place! I promiseeee!" Reiji clings onto Ranmaru's leg, preventing him from walking.

"Geez! Alright already! Let go of me, Reiji! Idiot! Stop that!"

All four of them sit in a circle on the floor.

"Uh, what do I say? You could say that we became friends because of work. I've been hanging around with her time to time since we have to come up with some songs for our unit work and then we practice too."

"Isn't it a hassle to meet every now and then for work?" Ai asks.

"Not really. We live in the same apartment building; she's at a lower floor."

"You both live in the same apartment building?! What a convenient coincidence! I approve of this!" Reiji says.

"I'm guessing that you both have somewhat similar interests." Camus says. "I don't think you would have gotten along with her if you didn't share something of similar interest."

"Uh. She's got good taste with music and food; I'd definitely say that."

"Food really does unite all sorts of people." Reiji says.

"She's got a cat too. It's a smart and cute little guy; it's always following her around when she's home."

"You were always fond of cats." Ai says. "Do you play with the cat often? Is it kind?"

"Kind of, yeah. Sometimes it drops by my place when the kid isn't home. So far it's been kind to me but the kid says it's usually mean or wary towards new faces."

"I see. Kaori would want to meet the cat; I think I'll like the cat as well."

"Does she adore meat as much as you do?" Camus asks.

"She loves food in general but mostly sweets like the ones she mentioned in her interview that we watched on television before. She's pretty much the 'what you see is what you get' kind of girl to be honest; she isn't that different from the way she is in the shows she appears in and from her performances."

"Is she a nice person? She seems nice." Reiji asks.

"Her?" Ranmaru thinks for a moment. "I honestly think she's too childish at times but I guess in the end, she's got a good heart. Definitely a person who likes helping people but reckless; she tends to care for others more at the expense of her own well being."

"I see; she is a reckless knight in shining armour." Camus says.

"Nevertheless, a good person is a good person." Ai says. "That's what Kaori tells me."

"Yeah, she's a good kid. Some white lies here and there but it's alright I guess; she ends up tellin' you the truth anyway. Lively but sometimes annoying but it keeps things alive so it usually makes you like you're in a good middle ground. If you don't wanna talk, she won't force you. She listens to you without interrupting you and you'd be surprised by how she's got a good head on her shoulders uh most of the time."

Reiji clenches his chest with a huge smile. "Urgh. Ranran, I can feel the positive vibes. I envy you."

"You're a weird old man."

Ai takes out his boxed lunch and upon opening the lid, half of the lunch was a salad filled with fruits, nuts, and shredded chicken. The other half was sesame rice with grilled chicken and grilled salmon.

"Ai-Ai, your bento looks delicious as always. I miss Kaori-chan's cooking. Huhu. Please adopt me."

"Sorry Reiji, there's no vacancy. I don't want to share her affection with you. I'd rather share her with our future offspring than you."

"Ouch. I am hurt. Urgh. At least I'll be the uncle of your future children! I'm pretty sure they'll be so cute!"

"Such a drama queen." Ranmaru says.

"I would have to agree with you on that." Camus says.

Ranmaru casually asks Ai for a piece of his salad since he wanted to know what it tastes like. Ai stares at him for a few seconds before letting him taste his salad.

"Ranmaru, I thought you don't like vegetables." Ai says.

"Hnnm. The kid always makes me eat the salad she eats when we eat out so it kinda has grown on me. Your salad tastes good. Can ya ask Kaori if she'd share the recipe with me? This I can stand to eat."

"Okay, I'll ask her when I get home."

"Whaaa, Emi-chan made Ranran like salad?! This is a historic event! I am very amazed!"

"If ya have someone shoving a spoonful of something you don't like all the time, I think it's impossible to get used to it. Urgh. That damned woman; she's a living nightmare."

"You say that but you still hang out with her. Hehe." Reiji says. "You're such a tsundere, Ranran." He hugs him happily.

"Shut up, Reiji."

"Such a development; the monkey has a heart."

"Shut up, Count."

" It's okay, Ranmaru. I've been there before and it is surely a bumpy road but I'm sure you'll survive until the end. She might be someone you'll be with for a short time or perhaps for a long time either way, I think if she makes you feel comfortable then you should keep her by your side or you should stay by her side. It is hard to find people you'd be comfortable with."

"Not you too, Ai. Don't join these two idiots' side."

"How come you didn't tell Ai-Ai to shut up?"

"What? Why would I do that? Look at him, would ya have the heart to say something like 'shut up' to him?"

They all look at Ai who was quietly eating the bento that his lover made for him. He may have his usual blank expression but you can feel how happy he is eating the bento. Seeing him eat so quietly and happily touches their hearts.

"You're right, Ranran. It's so hard to say such hurtful words to a person like Ai-Ai. He's too precious to hurt."

"I do agree that it's hard to be angry or hateful in any way towards him. He is too pure." Camus says.

"He's the precious baby of Quartet Night." Reiji says as he nods. "He's my precious baby! Huhu! Isn't that right, Camyu-papa and Ranran-papa?"

Camus and Ranmaru hit Reiji at the same time.

"Ouch!"

Ai puts down his chopsticks and speaks with his mouth full. "I am nowt a bawby, Rewji."

Reiji clenches his heart while Ranmaru and Camus were silent.

"He's too precious." Ranmaru says.

Camus nods.

"I don't know who to envy more. Do I envy Ai-Ai for having someone like Kaori-chan or do I envy Kaori-chan for having someone like Ai-Ai…"

"He must be giving the poor girl unintentional heart attacks whenever they're together." Camus says.

"Most probably, Myu-chan. Most probably."

* * *

The door to the rooftop suddenly swings open. In shock, Mana drops her phone while I on the other hand fell out of my wheelchair.

"IT'S BEEN A WHILE, YOUNG BOSS!" two strong-looking women say loudly.

"Ack! Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" Damn it! This is so lame! How the hell did I fall off from my wheelchair?!"

"Young boss! Are you okay?!" The two strong-looking women immediately approach me and helped me to get back on my wheelchair.

"Wait a minute, who on earth are you two?!" Mana frantically asks as she rushes over to my side.

"It's none of ya business, four eyes." The strong-looking blonde haired woman says.

"Who the hell are you? What're ya doin' with the young boss?" The strong-looking black haired woman says with an intimidating tone and look.

"Are you trying to provoke me?" Mana asks calmly without fear.

"Ehhh? This suit chick didn't budge one bit, sis. Maybe she's a lackey of another group who's after the young boss."

"We better get rid of her then."

"Whoa, whoa ,whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold up! Don't start a fight here! No fighting! No fighting! This ain't a place for—"

"Hara-chan!" A tall woman wearing a denim jacket suddenly appears and walks towards me.

"H-Huh?! How did you—?!"

"Hara-chan! I've missed you very much!" She hugs me tightly with a warm feeling. "I haven't seen you since you moved! It was mean of you not to even tell me your new address and you rarely message or call me."

"Y-Yeah, sorry about that Auntie."

"Little Hara-chan barely grew when I last saw her."

"No way! I'm pretty sure I grew compared to the last time we met!"

"Excuse me, but who exactly are you people?"

"Hush, four eyes. Don't disturb the boss' reunion with the young boss." The blonde haired woman says sternly.

"Suzy, stop pickin' on Mana! She's my manager from Shining Agency and she's the one who has been taking care of me!"

"Seriously? This skinny four eyes has been the one looking after you?"

"Young boss, no offense but she seems weak." The black haired woman says.

"Trust me; she's a strong and strict woman. I give you my word, Lucy."

Mana looks at me with her arms crossed. She sends a cold chill down my spine.

"Right…Uh, these two are Suzy and Lucy; they were my blood sisters in…uh…the group. This is my aunt who's the leader of...uh…the group; her name is Asagao Hanabi." My smile comes out weirdly in my uneasiness.

Auntie releases me and offers her hand to Mana. "Asagao Hanabi. I am Koemi's aunt and leader of the Morning Glory Group."

"Your group is the Morning Glory?! You're an all female yakuza group known for helping and protecting people. You're the group known for taking down big yakuza groups that touched innocent people."

"So you have heard of us? I'm glad to know that."

"I am Rukawa Madoka, currently an agent of Shining Agency and currently the manager of Koemi." Mana takes Auntie's hand and shakes hands.

I slowly push my wheelchair towards the rooftop door while all four of them are talking to each other.

"Hara-chan, where do you think you're going?" Auntie asks in a gentle tone and with a big smile.

I suddenly flinch and turn around slowly with a nervous smile.

"N-Nowhere! I'm just moving around to pass the time while all of you are talkin'. Hehe."

My auntie calls me over with a smile, using her hand to give a simple gesture of gettin' my butt over there. Without complaint and delay, I slowly bring myself to them.

"Hara-chan, Madoka here has told me what has happened to you recently."

"O-Oh! She did?" I look at Mana and her hesitant expression concerns me. "So what did she tell you?"

Auntie puts her hand firmly on my wheelchair's back rest. She slowly leans down towards me until she's about two inches away from my face. I'm in deep crap right now. I can feel it.

"Nakahara Koemi." Auntie's monotone voice says.

"Yes?"

"They did this to you, didn't they?"

"Auntie—"

"Don't feed me some crap of an excuse or try to change the subject; I've got no time for that. So, answer me—did they do this to you?" Her tone was calm yet angry.

I look away from her, thinking about words that I could and should say to her but she suddenly grabs me by the collar of my shirt and lifts me up.

"Koemi, I've told you several times before to contact me if you see signs of them returning. I know that it's impossible that you didn't know they were watching you; I know that you most likely knew that they were watching you."

She puts me down roughly back on my wheelchair.

"I know what you've got in there in your head. You're thinkin' of going after them—alone."

I couldn't say anything to her because all of the things she said were absolutely true. I knew that they found me and that Mana was hiding my presents from my 'stalker' and that I let them get me so that I can find them and later on go to them and wipe them off completely.

"We ain't gonna let you go after them. We're going to get them before you do if we have to."

"But Auntie…!"

"No. I won't allow you to go back to being the little demon of the past. I allowed you to leave the group in the past and I won't let you return in the present or the future."

"I don't have to return to the group to get my revenge."

Auntie slaps my face without holding back. Without thinking, my eyes glare straight into her eyes.

"Those eyes; I hoped never to see those again. When your parents died and then Yasuko died, those eyes kept showing whenever we had you help us at the defence division. You kept your grief, anger, and sadness all to yourself and whenever you'd release those feelings, you fought with all your strength."

"To the point that you almost killed people with your own hands." Suzy says.

"Half of the members of that group in the past, you took them down on your own but you would have killed them if we didn't stop you." Lucy says.

"…They deserve to die for what they've been doing anyway."

"That's not the Koemi my sister raised and loved." Auntie says sternly. "That's not the Koemi I knew and took care of either."

I quickly steer my wheelchair towards the rooftop door without a word.

"You're running away? You're going to run away again?" Auntie asks loudly.

"Maybe I'm runnin' and maybe I'm not."

"Koemi, just let me take care of them. Go on with the life you have now; just live happy."

"The only way I could ever live happily is if I can get rid of all these holes inside me. No matter how much I fill 'em up, they just get deeper and deeper and deeper. Tell me Auntie, when was the last time that the sky smiled for me? Even I don't keep my hopes up anymore because I know that I'll always lose something or someone; I'm cursed just like what the folks back in our neighbourhood used to say."

I push my wheelchair thru the door and left them all there at the roof. It's a good thing that the hospital has a ramp beside the stairs in the staircases; they thought about their patients who use wheelchairs.

"Young boss—"

"Let her be, Suzy. Just let her cool off for a while." Auntie says. "That kid just needs to level herself every now and then. She can be stubborn and hot headed but she always comes thru her senses." She looks to her side and sees Madoka looking at her. "What's the matter with you, Miss Madoka?"

"Just now, you referred to Koemi as 'kid'. It reminded me of a friend of ours named Kurosaki; he calls her the same way."

"Did you just say 'he'?" Auntie's eyes squint.

"Y-Yes, I did. Is there something wrong with what I said?"

"Is this boy frequently with our Hara-chan?" Auntie asks seriously with her arms crossed.

"He's a co-worker of Koemi so I would say they frequently see each other especially since Saotome has put them together into a duo unit; he also lives in the same apartment building as Koemi and I."

"Suzy. Lucy. Get my gun."

"Yes, boss!"

"Wait! Wait! Wait! Madame, please calm down!" Mana says. "We can't have him killed or else we'll lose one of the good idols in the agency! Spare the guy!"

"My dear, it's not for that man but for the man over there."

Auntie points at the ground floor from the fence. A suspicious man is standing by one of the trees at the front premises of the hospital.

"Is he from the paparazzi?" Mana asks.

"Nope. That man is from the yakuza group that hurt Hara-chan."

"What?! We should apprehend him immediately then!"

"No, do not do such a thing. That man is bait; if he gets apprehended right now then it will confirm their suspicion that Hara-chan is here."

"That's one of the reasons why the boss didn't take the whole group with her to visit the young boss." Lucy says.

"If the boss took the whole group with her, then it'll be obvious who she's visiting here in this hospital. That's also why we had to choose our mode of transport carefully." Suzy says.

"He hasn't noticed us here in the rooftop since I don't think he'd be able to see who's on the roof from this angle and height. I advise you and Hara-chan to stay clear from windows and from going outside the hospital especially in the day time; they might have eyes in the night but it would be difficult for them to see anyone clearly." Auntie hands over a small box to Mana; the box is small enough to fit one's palm.

"What is this?"

"It's a small device that will send a signal when you press this button over here. I want you to keep it with you always."

"What will happen when I press the button?"

"It will send a signal to our group and in a few moments, we'll be there by your side wherever and whenever. I want you to press the button in the event that you and Hara-chan get attacked by that yakuza group. We'll come to rescue you both and at the same time that would be our best chance of taking them down legally."

"If we attack them for the reason of self defence, things will go smoothly." Suzy says.

"I will remember that; I'll keep this with me always." Mana says as she tucks away the small device in her pocket.

"There is also one other reason that I want you to press the button for—If Hara-chan suddenly disappears from your sight, she may be on her way to that yakuza group's place to take them down on her own; I won't allow it. We'll go after her the moment we find out."

The rooftop door suddenly opens and a nurse frantically looks around.

"Excuse me, would any one of you be Rukawa Madoka-san?"

"That would be me."

"Thank goodness I've found you. You are the guardian of the patient, Nakahara Koemi-san, yes?"

Mana nods.

"You need to come with me then! Nakahara-san was found one of the hospital's bathroom stalls with blood everywhere!"

"What?! Please tell me the details as we move!"

Auntie, Suzy, and Lucy follow the nurse and Mana into the hospital.

"Someone went into one of the sixth floor bathrooms and when she entered the bathroom, one of the stalls had a wheelchair outside. She decided to check if the person was inside the stall or if the wheelchair was left there in the bathroom. The stall in front of the wheelchair was slightly open and so the person opened the stall and found Nakahara-san on the floor with blood all over her and the toilet bowl. The blood seemed to have come from Nakahara-san's mouth so we believe that she was throwing up blood into the toilet hence why she had to get out of her wheelchair."

"How much blood did she lose?!"

"We don't have a definite amount yet since we just found her but based on the blood we found, she may need a blood transfusion."

"Why would she throw up blood?! What could have happened?!" Auntie asks angrily.

"I-I'm sorry ma'am but I do not know."

The nurse continues to lead them thru the hospital floors until they reach one of the emergency rooms wherein Koemi is currently being treated.

The nurse, Mana, Auntie, Suzy, and Lucy watch thru the glass window as a group of doctors treat a blood covered Koemi. Mana, in surprise, covers her mouth and a soft gasp escapes her mouth.

"Hm. The patient seems to have loss a substantial amount of blood. We need to conduct a blood transfusion immediately! Call the medical station where the blood storage is and have them send someone to bring a big pack of type A blood right away!"

"Yes, doctor!" One of the assisting nurses says.

The assistant nurse ends the call she made from the telephone inside the surgery room and returns to everyone at the medical table.

"Doctor, they're sending someone right now to us. Luckily we still have one large pack of the blood type. The next delivery of blood packs won't be arriving within the week due to a logistic problem; would the one large pack be enough for the patient?"

"Yes, that would be enough. All we can do for now is to keep her stable as we wait for the blood pack."

Minutes pass and the doctor becomes angry.

"Where the hell is the blood pack?! The patient needs it as soon as possible! With the amount of blood she lost, she could go into a shock any time!"

"I-I'll follow up on it, doctor!" The nurse says.

Before the nurse could pick up the phone in the surgery room, it rings all of a sudden. The nurse answers immediately and her face turns pale.

"Doctor, the blood pack…The person who was coming over to deliver it was bumped by medical staff from the ER when an emergency patient came; the blood back was spilled."

"What?! How?! How much was left in the blood pack?"

"…Less than half."

"How on earth did it spill?"

"According to the staff, the ER staff and the stretcher ran over the blood pack when it fell onto the floor. They're cleaning up the mess as we speak."

Frustration and anger possesses the doctor but he contains his inner demons inside. "..." He takes a deep breath and turns to the intercom near the glass window. "An accident has occurred and thus the blood type A blood pack was unfortunately spilled. Less than half was left inside the blood pack and since it fell onto the floor, I doubt the blood left inside the pack is usable as it may have been contaminated. Nakahara-san is in need of blood ASAP. Are any of you of blood type A or O?"

The nurse that lead everyone to the emergency room presses the intercom from their side so that Mana and the others could speak.

"Unfortunately, my blood type is B." Mana says.

"I'm also a B." Suzy says.

"I'm an O but I'm anemic so that means I can't donate blood." Lucy says.

Everyone looks at Auntie.

"My blood type is AB." Auntie says in distraught.

"Damn it! Can't we contact another hospital that's nearby to see if they have some blood A reserves?!" Mana says.

"Nurse!" The doctor says as he turns to the nurse near the phone in the surgery room.

"Yes! Understood!"

* * *

"Ranran, I think someone's calling you. The light on your phone has been blinking for a while now."

"I forgot to turn off silent mode. Hold on for a sec. Hello?"

Ranmaru suddenly stands up on his feet and his voice becomes loud.

"What the hell happened?!"

Reiji, Ai, and Camus look at each other.

"I'll be there in a while; keep me updated!" His face became utterly worried and angry at the same time.

"Ranran?"

"Reiji! I need to get to the hospital as soon as possible! Can you drive for me?! It's an emergency! "

"Of course! Get your things and head to the car right away. Ai-Ai, here are the keys to my place; you and Myu-chan can go ahead there. We'll contact one of you two as soon as we can."

"Okay. You both take care and I hope that Koemi is okay." Ai says.

"Send my regards as well." Camus says.

"Reiji!"

"I'm coming! I'm coming!"

Reiji and Ranmaru get inside the car and immediately head over to the hospital where Koemi is.

"What happened to Koemi-chan, Ranran?"

"Rukawa, her manager, was the one who called me. She says that the kid coughed out a hell lot of blood and now she needs a blood transfusion. Problem is, the hospital's last pack of her blood type was spilled all over the floor because of a stupid mistake of the staff. They're gonna try asking for some blood from another hospital but it's gonna take time. The doctor said that she isn't in a safe and stable state due to the amount of blood she lost."

"So where do you enter the picture?"

"When she first got admitted to the hospital, she needed some blood and I gave her some of my blood since our blood types were compatible. So now, Rukawa called me because she knows that I can donate my blood to the kid without any problems.

"Then I have to floor it! If I get a violation for speeding or beating the red light, you have to pay for it okay?"

"Hell, I'll even treat ya to lunch if we get to the hospital soon."

"Hi-ho silver, away!"

"Oi! Don't hit that cat on the street!"

"Of course I won't! Why would I?!"

"I'd rather have you hit a human rather than a cat, Reiji!"

"I'd prefer not to hit anything or anyone, Ranran!"

* * *

"So that boy's blood is compatible with Hara-chan?"

"Yes, he had donated blood to Koemi before. I strongly believe he would be of use at this moment."

"I hope your friend or the other hospitals would reply soon; we need the blood immediately."

"Doctor, her heart rate is gradually increasing and her pulse is getting weaker." One of the nurses says.

"If we don't give her blood soon, she may go into shock." The doctor sighs. "Have any of the hospitals replied yet?"

"We couldn't get in touch with two hospitals. One hospital said that they don't have any blood type A on hand. Another hospital responded and said they have the blood but it will take about twenty minutes before the blood could estimately arrive. It's Fukushima Hospital; they're quite a distance from our hospital, doctor."

"You confirmed the blood delivery?"

"Yes, doctor."

"Okay. We'll be holding our hope up to them and Nakahara-san's friend. I hope one of them would arrive soon."

Minutes pass and the doctor grows anxious.

"Nakahara-san, please hold on for a little longer." The doctor says. "You'll get the blood you need soon."

"I'm going to kill those bastards when I get the chance! They'll regret ever coming back and touching Hara-chan!" Auntie hits the room's wall. "I'm gonna pay the back with all the strength we've got!"

"Madame, please endure for a little longer. Let's not lose hope. All we can do for now is to hope for the best." Mana says as she looks at Koemi thru the glass window.

"Where's Emi?! Did I make it in time?!"

Everyone in the room suddenly turns to the door and sees Ranmaru sweating and breathing rapidly, trying to catch his breath. He quickly goes over to the window and sees Koemi on the table.

He presses the intercom button and says, "Doc, I'm the blood donor. Let's get this done immediately."

"Thank heavens! Please go with the nurse that's over there at your side. She'll guide you. Okay everyone, let's save this girl's life!"

Immediately they start to draw blood from Ranmaru and the moment they obtained enough blood, they immediately started giving it to Koemi. She recovers and gets transferred back to her original hospital room.

"She's finally okay again. I'm pretty sure I lost a lot of years in my life today." Mana says as she pats Koemi's head.

"I thought I lost my life." Auntie says. "Hara-chan is just as precious to me as my sister was; losing her would have killed me inside."

"It's a good thing that Ranran and I made it on time." Reiji says.

"Thank you for driving him here, Kotobuki. I appreciate it very much; we all do." Mana says. "And thank you, Kurosaki. Thank you for heading over here right away when I contacted you."

"Will she be alright?" He looks at Koemi sleeping soundly. "Will she be able to recover? Will she be able to work again?"

"I don't know since it really depends on her body's ability and pace of recovery but I believe that she'll recover well and return to work and return to playing around like her usual self. I believe in her."

"So do I." Ranmaru says softly.

"So you're Kurosaki Ranmaru. I've heard that you've been hangin' around Hara-chan lately." Auntie says.

"Uh yeah, I'm Kurosaki Ranmaru. Are you a relative of the kid?" He points at Koemi.

"Yes, I am. I'm her aunt."

"It's nice to meet you. She's told me some stuff about you."

"Oh? She has?"

"Despite being a yakuza leader, you're a good person and a strong woman I respect that."

"You seem to be a good kid. Well, the fact that Hara-chan lets you hang around her is proof enough. I may not like the fact that a boy is hanging around her but after hearing things about ya from Rukawa and after seeing your actions today, I think you're okay. So far you pass."

"Pass?"

Auntie looks at Koemi and her expression softens. "I finally get to see you after years and this is how I'd see you? This is the state you're in? Sometimes I wonder if my decision to let you go was for the best." She caresses Koemi's face and looks at her with a small smile. "I wish you'd let me take care of you; I wish that you'd let other people take care of you." She kisses Koemi's forehead. "I have to go; there are things I still have to take care of for today back home. I'll try to come visit you again one day. Take care and I hope you'll learn to stop being reckless and careless soon." She takes one last good look at Koemi. "I love you, Koemi. We all love you very much. Take care."

She then heads over to Mana. "Please continue looking after her in my stead. Here is my contact number; feel free to send a message any time. I will count on you."

"I will. I may not have spent a substantially long time with her yet but I sincerely see her as a good friend. A friend I find worth keeping and protecting."

"Do not forget about the little device I gave you; that will be useful in the future, I assure you."

Mana nods in response.

"Thank you."

Lucy and Suzy follow Auntie as she leaves the room.

* * *

"Hn…Ran…maru…"

"I'm right here."

"Oh, you are. Hey, what's up?" I smile a little. "I feel terrible."

"Do you wanna drink some water?"

"Yeah…"

"Hold on, I'll get ya a glass."

"Déjà vu."

"I'm gonna help you sit up—"

"Don't. I don't think I can. Could ya use a straw? I really don't want to sit up…"

"Okay. Sure."

He takes two straws and connects them together so that it could reach my mouth with ease as I stay down. The taste of water feels great down my throat…even though water doesn't really have a taste.

"Ack!" I choke all of a sudden and he immediately takes away the straw from my mouth.

"You drank too fast and got yourself choking on the water. Sigh."

"So…rry."

He takes out a towel from his bag and wipes my mouth. He also pats and rubs my back to help ease my coughing.

"The towel is clean. Don't worry about coughing on it or anything; I don't mind."

"Tha…nks."

I close my eyes the moment I stopped coughing. I feel like shit.

"I know it's a stupid question but I'll ask anyway—Are you okay?"

"No, I feel like shit."

He puts his hand on my forehead and then brushes my hair off of my face. I never thought that I'd see a more worried monkey in this life time haha. He looks so worried that I'm starting to feel guilty.

"Where's Madoka?"

"She went back to the apartment to get you a change of clothes and underwear and to check up on Nao. She'll be buying food for dinner too."

"Oh, okay…"

"Do you want anything else or maybe drink some more water?"

"No, I'm fine now. Thanks for offering."

"You sure you don't want anything?"

"…Can I hold your hand?"

"Huh?"

"If you really have been the one taking care of me during the evenings, you'd know that I have a habit of holding onto someone or something when I'm asleep; it's one of my habits. I usually sleep with Nao…but he isn't here."

He looks away from me for a moment and I end up chuckling a little.

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to. It's silly, isn't it—?"

He moves a chair closer to the side of the bed and then he pushes down the side barrier of the hospital bed.

"Ranmaru?"

He sits down and puts his left elbow on the side of the bed; he then rests his head on his left arm.

"It ain't silly. I've been holding your hand while you sleep for the past days; what difference would it make if I continue to hold onto it for a few more? At least this time I get to have a more comfortable position."

He takes hold of my right hand with his left.

"I'm gonna close my eyes and get some sleep; practice today was tough. You can talk or whatever, I'll listen 'til I fall asleep. You can wake me up if ya need somethin' or if ya need to go to the bathroom."

He shuts his eyes.

"Isn't it uncomfortable to sleep like that?"

"It's fine for me. I can sleep anywhere in any way."

"You sound like a cat."

"Heh. Whatever."

"So did practice go well?"

"We were all hyped up today so we gave more effort than usual. We'll probably perfect the routine by next week."

"That's cool. QN really is amazing."

"I got your message a while ago after practice—the picture of the sky was nice."

"I know right? It was really pretty. It would have been ideal for a picnic or something like that."

"Yeah."

"I wanted to go out but of course Mana said no. I hate hospitals. Hmph."

"We'll go out as soon as you get all healed up. So do nothing but to take care of yourself."

"Alright. It's a deal then. We'll go out when I get discharged."

"Just make sure it isn't too pricey; we're both on a budget."

"Yeah."

"Hey, I've only noticed now but your hands are kinda big and they're really firm."

"So?"

"You're not a squishy monkey."

"I'm not a monkey."

"Yes, you are."

"I'm not."

"Then you're a cat."

"I'm not."

"You're a sleepy cat."

"I am sleepy but I ain't a cat."

"Hehe. Whatever."

"Tha…nks for coming."

"Whatever."

"Thanks."

"Shut up."

"Thank you."

He sighs. "You're welcome."

"You finally responded properly."

"You're annoying."

"I know that hehe."

Ranmaru ends up falling asleep after he stops talking; he really can fall asleep fast and wake up easily. I stare at him and he still doesn't talk or move. I try squeezing his hand but he doesn't respond in any way. I then start poking his shoulder. Nothing happens again. I move on to poking his cheek; it's kinda soft. He doesn't respond either with this but I decide to keep poking him anyway because it's fun. If Ranmaru was a cat, I would have probably adopted him.

I laugh softly before closing my eyes.

I should probably sleep now; I feel like shit…Sigh. I just want to sleep thru this.

Slowly, I move a little closer to the side of the hospital bed towards Ranmaru. I lay my head on his hand which I hold tightly in mine. His hand is warm; I thought his hand would be cold but it isn't. I wish Nao was here too; I miss having him with me.

* * *

The kid finally went to sleep. I thought she'd never go to sleep. What the hell was with the poking? I had my eyes closed but I swear I was wide awake; what the hell was that all for?! Sigh.

I open my eyes and see the kid all curled up.

"You're not supposed to sleep like that. You'll wake up complaining about having some limbs hurting somewhere."

She's silently sleeping away as I lecture her. This is useless; I give up.

"You're an unfair kid."

Troublesome. Too troublesome…and yet here I am still here. I think the Count may be right in that I'm losing some brain cells from exhaustion. I feel sorry for her but I don't think I keep comin' back because of that. I don't think I particularly care about lookin' good or feelin' good by doing this. Maybe I am just an idiot who likes meat. Heh.

"Hospitals are so cold. Why'd they keep the AC on such a cold setting; don't the patients feel cold like this?"

I'm already wearin' a jacket but I still feel cold. There's an extra blanket in the cabinet but I don't think the kid is gonna let go of my hand; I'm stuck here…

I lay my left arm close to her head and rest my head on that same arm; I'll just have to share the heat with the kid.

"You gotta heal up soon so we can go back to work. I'm startin' to miss our practice sessions; it's usually the only time I get to enjoy some rock with someone. I kinda wish you'd release a new song soon; I''ve been listening to your previous songs too much that I practically memorize all of them already. Heh. If you give out a new song, I'll give one out to ya too; fair enough right?"

Her hand's grip becomes tighter for a second. She doesn't sleep talk much but I'm startin' to believe that she sleep thinks; maybe she just unconsciously answers back some way.

It's still kind of early in the evening but I guess we're getting some good long sleep tonight for a change. There's no practice tomorrow for QN so I guess I can sleep in a little before headin' home. I'll have to pass by the market tomorrow; I've got no more food back at home plus I gotta restock on cat food too. I'll just think about what else I need at home tomorrow when I wake up. Right now, sleep is all I want.

Somehow I think I'm forgetting something but I can't remember.

I guess it's not important.

* * *

"I'm back. Koemi, I fetched some clothes from the house and I for dinner, I bought—What on earth…?! The two of you fell asleep on me?! What am I going to do with all the food that I brought?! You two are just unbelievable. You both forgot all about me?!"

Mana sits down and grabs a bowl of noodles from the plastic bag she brought and starts to eat furiously.

"Suit yourselves! I'll enjoy my noodles fresh and hot! You both just go on and sleep and wake up to some cold noodles that you'll both have to heat up on your own somehow! Hmph. I'm being left out of the picture again. Hmph."

She takes out her cell phone and starts to chat online with Kumagai, sending complaints and frustrations in her messages.

"Kumagai, we're going drinking this weekend whether you like it or not!"


	17. Chapter 16: Welcome Back

**Chapter 16: Welcome Back**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I might become really busy all over again because midterm exams are coming and I really should start on my dreadful thesis *gross sobbing*

Also, I'm surprised to learn something today. I checked my Wattpad account wherein I also post the same stories that I post here.  
Under the tag of "utanoprincesama", Me and Ai ranked 60th place out of 433 stories and is in quite a high rank in other related tags such as "mikaze" or other versions of the untanoprincesama tag. I'm happy about it because it means people are enjoying and liking the stories I have written *mini celebrates*

URock on the other hand is ranked 231th place in the "utanoprincesama" tag~

Thank you everyone for your support. Please be safe and healthy always wherever you may be!

* * *

"Emi, where are you going?" Mana asks.

"I'm off to Kurushima Hospital to see the kids."

"You just got out of the hospital. Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I'm in tip top shape! C'mon it's been a month already and I'm all good; that's what the doctor said."

"Fine. Hm, it seems you've improved your disguise very well. Black hair actually suits you more but at the same time you look very different. No wonder I don't recognize you when you go out secretly."

"I'll message you once I reach the hospital and before I head back here at home."

*meooowwwww*

I pat Nao's head and he purrs loudly.

"I'll play with ya when I get back, okay? I'll buy you some good tuna before I head home."

*meooowwwww*

"You spoil Nao too much. He's getting fat."

"Then he'll have to go jogging but not with me haha. I won't be jogging or running outside for a long while for sure. I'm going now!"

"Be careful always!" Mana says as I close the door.

The kids are gonna be surprised to see me after all this time! I miss those little rascals! I hope they've stopped making Ranmaru play as the monster all the time when they play haha. The poor guy! I wonder if the nurses miss me too haha. Anyway, I'll play with the kids as much as I can! I'll even read them an extra story before leaving.

* * *

Wearing my apron and name tag after all this time feels a little awkward but at the same time, it's nostalgic. I miss this uniform a lot! This is like second nature to me. I already felt bad for not coming every Friday as I used to since I got busy and tired from work and then I suddenly stopped coming for a month since I got hospitalized. I hope the kids are alright and healthy! I missed them a hell lot.

I head to the function hall's doors and take hold of the door handle. I take a deep breath and swing the door quietly.

"Look who's back—Eh?"

What the hell am I looking at? Am I in the right hospital? Are these the same kids and monkey that I've been with all this time?! T-They're all getting along just fine?! The kids have grown to like the monkey so much already?! What dimension or alternative universe have I entered?!

"Kuro-chan, I want you to read this story next." Mia-chan says.

"No way! That's a boring story! Kuro-chan should read this one next!" Kaido-kun says.

"Mia, Kai, if you both are gonna fight, I ain't readin' anything."

"Kuro-chan, I want to fly!" Chiharu-san says.

"Heh. You're not scared of heights anymore?" Ranmaru asks.

"Nope! I'm not scared anymore! I'm a brave girl!"

"Yeah, you are. Come here, I'll carry you up."

"Yay!"

"I'm next!" Ryo-kun says.

Akane goes over to Ranmaru and tugs on his pants. "Kuro-niisan, when will Emi-neesan come back? I want her back already. I miss her."

Ranmaru pats her head. "I don't know when she'll come back but all we can do now is to wait for her to be strong again so that she can play with you all again. You'll be good and patient to wait for her, right?"

"Yes."

"You won't cry so that she won't be sad, right?"

"I won't!"

"Good girl."

"I'll keep smiling and having fun so that Emi-neechan can see that I'm fine and so that we can all play again when she comes back!"

"Uhuh. What you got there?" Ranmaru points at the paper she's holding in her left hand.

"I made Emi-neechan a drawing! Look, it's Kaido, Ryo, Ken, Chiharu, Mia, Akane, Tsukiko, Me, and you."

"Haha. That's a pretty cute picture ya made; better keep it somewhere safe so that it won't get dirty or destroyed."

Akane nods happily.

"What's that little thing you got there, Akane?" I say to her as I stand behind her and gently take the paper out from her hands. "Oh! This is a pretty picture you got here. I'm guessing you made this yourself! It's really cute. Look, you got Ranmaru perfectly; he looks like a crossbreed of a monkey and a cat hahaha."

Akane stares at me for a moment in disbelief. I just smile at her as I compliment her drawing. Her eyes are wide open and it's quite cute. Her expression is a weird mix of surprise and joy; I can't tell if she's going to cry or if she's going to smile bigger haha.

"EMI-NEECHANNNN!" Akane shouts loudly and immediately clings onto my leg.

"Whoa! Be careful! I almost lost my balance!"

"EMI-NEECHANNNNNNNNNNNN!" All the other kids start to shout and cry as they run towards me. In the end, I lose my balance as they jump onto me and fall onto the floor on my back. The fall wasn't that bad and it didn't really hurt; I'm just happy none of the children got hurt.

"Emi-neechan! You're back! We missed you!" Tsukiko-chan says.

"Ryo said you were dying and scared us all! Whaaa!" Ken-kun says.

"I didn't say that! Emi-neechan, Ken is lying! I was a good boy while you were away! You can even ask Kuro-niisan!" Ryo-kun says.

"Emi-neechan is back! She's back! She's back!" Mia-chan kept moving around as she hugs me.

"H-Hey! You all should stop crying! I'm back, ain't I? You all should be laughing and smiling! Plus you'll get a stuffy nose if you don't stop crying!"

"Hey kids, y'all better get off of her or else you're going to suffocate her to death." Ranmaru says.

The children suddenly freeze and look at him altogether with very teary eyes.

I immediately stand up and hit Ranmaru's head. "You're not helping at all!"

"Ouch! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It came out wrong!"

"Hey, you okay?" He whispers.

"Yeah. That fall was nothin'." I whisper back.

"Emi-neechan, let's play!" The children say.

"Sure! What do you guys want to play today?"

All of us, even Ranmaru, goofed around and played till we couldn't anymore. When it came for nap time, the children fell asleep immediately; even I ended up napping with them 'cause I got really tired. For sick children, they sure got a lot of energy! I don't know if Ranmaru took a nap with us since I kind of fell asleep almost instantly after I made sure all of the children were asleep.

When I woke up, I saw Ranmaru reading a story to the children who sat in a circle with him. It was an impressive sight; I'm beginning to think that this is all a dream or somethin'.

"Emi-neechan woke up!" Akane says as she sees me getting up. She comes over to me and hugs me tightly.

"Hey, is it okay to break away from the reading circle that you guys got over there?"

"It's okay since I'm with Emi-neechan!"

"You're so sweet Akane. Thanks for putting this blanket on me while I was sleeping. It kept me warm!"

"I didn't do that, Emi-neechan. Kuro-niisan did that."

"Oh. Okay."

"Come and join our reading circle, Emi-neechan!"

She takes my hand with her small hands and gently but forcefully pulls me towards the circle. I'm forced to sit beside her and listen on as Ranmaru reads the book. Hm. His voice isn't fit for this kind of thing but he's quite animated as he reads the story; it keeps things lively and fun. This guy is really weird haha. Weird but he has some cute sides haha.

"Alright kids, it's time to say bai bai to me and Kuro-niisan over here."

"Don't call me that." Ranmaru lightly elbows me.

"Eh? Why not? It's a cute nickname haha."

"Only the kids can call me that."

"What? That's not fair!"

"It is fair."

"No, it isn't."

"Yes, it is."

The children watch as the two banter. Suddenly, Akane stands up and walks to the spot between Ranmaru and Koemi. She then tugs on Ranmaru's pants with her right hand and tugs Koemi's pants with her left hand. The two suddenly stop fighting and look down at her.

With a clear and loud voice, Akane says with a smile, "Kuropapa and Emimama."

"Excuse me? What?" I say.

Ranmaru couldn't say anything back to the child.

The other children then start to repeat what Akane said.

"Kuropapa. Emimama." The kids say playfully.

"Whoa there. No way. Stop. Nu-uh. Noooo way." I cover Akane's mouth. "Stop thinking in that direction and go back with your thoughts. You. Are. Not. Going. To. Continue. Those. Thoughts."

"But you two are like our parents here in the hospital." Mia-chan says.

"And you both like each other anyway." Kaido-kun says as he crosses his arms.

"W-What?! No way! There's no way I'd like this monkey right here!" I point at Ranmaru. "I'd rather have a mountain of food than be with this monkey!"

"Me with this kid? Now way, Kai! She's under my league and she's a stubborn ugly little girl too." Ranmaru points at me.

"What did you say, monkey?!" I say angrily at him. "I'm gonna tear your fake ass hair one bundle at a time!"

"I dare ya to try!"

"If you're both going to get married, I want to be the flower girl!" Chiharu-san says.

"But I want to be the flower girl!" Tsukiko-chan says.

"I'm the ring bearer!" Ken-kun says.

"No! I'll be the ring bearer!" Ryo-kun says.

"There's no way I'm chainin' myself up to this idiot." Ranmaru grumbles.

"There's no room for a monkey in my life." I say with assertion.

"They're totally going to end up together." Ken-kun whispers to the other children who all nod at the same time in response.

"Alright, alright enough of this joke. It's time to return to your rooms and for me and this monkey to get home." I say. "Now, let's all ride aboard the Kurushima Express!"

"Kurushima Express!" the children shout as they form a line behind me. Ranmaru on the other hand stands at the back end of the line.

"Is everyone in the train?" I ask.

"Yes!"

"Okay! Time to go forward!"

The children make train noises as we walk thru the hallways of the hospital. One by one, we drop them off to their rooms until the only ones left on the train were Ranmaru and I. We went to our respective locker rooms and changed back into our casual clothes.

"Gods, I'm tired as hell." I say as we walk out of the hospital.

"Their energy shot up when you arrived."

"It sure did. I thought I wasn't gonna last the day."

"Wanna stop by somewhere to eat first before we head back to the apartment? My stomach's empty."

"That sounds like a good idea but I just wanna head home and sleep. Let's just get some take out at the station."

"I hope they've got some meat."

"Is your definition of food just meat?"

"Of course not but meat is like the top of the hierarchy for me."

"You should eat more vegetables; you're gonna ruin your body with just meat alone."

His face turns sour.

"You're like a kid, Ranmaru. You sulk like a kid."

"Whatever."

"Hey, buy me some animal crackers at the station."

"What? Why should I?"

"I dunno. Just do it."

"No way in hell I'm gonna do that."

"Oh come on, Kuro-niisan." I say teasingly.

"I'm going to get back at you one day."

"Good luck with that, Kuro-niisan."

"Urgh. Fine. I'll get you those animal crackers so tell me which brand and flavor so that I can get over with it already."

"Hmm that's a hard question."

"Are you kiddin' me?"

"Don't underestimate animal cracker brands! They're smart conniving capitalists that put all the things you want in one pack of animal crackers into different packs so that you'd be forced to buy one of each or all of them!"

"…" Ranmaru just continues walking on without saying a single word.

"Don't give me that treatment. You're mean."

"Says the little girl who's forcing another person to buy her animal crackers."

"Shut up. That's different!" I lightly elbow his arm. "You know, ice cream goes pretty well with animal crackers."

"I'm only buyin' you the crackers. Don't push your luck."

We board the train back home after buyin' some food in the station. Since it's a weekday and it's off hours, the train wasn't full of people.

I yawn in train and hug my bag tightly. "Monkey, I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me up when it's our stop."

"Fine."

"Thanks."

I lean on the backrest of the train seat and close my eyes. Taking a nap always feels great. The kids seemed healthy and the nurses said that their vitals were in their best ever since they got confined. There's even a chance they'll be discharged from the hospital if they stay in good health; I'm very happy for them. Their parents must be really happy too! If I were their parent, I surely would be really happy and thankful that they're going to be okay.

Emi's sleepin' with her mouth open. I'm gonna take a picture and send it to her; she's going to flip when she sees it. Her face is funny.

As the train goes on, she continues to sleep soundly but when the train turns, her body sways; she's like a bamboo shoot or somethin' swaying left and right. After a few turns, she ends up fallin' on my left side; she leans on my shoulder as she sleeps.

You've got to be kidding me.

There goes my freedom to move. Well at least this time her mouth's closed; she doesn't look like an idiot anymore. She looks pretty cute when behaved.

"…"

Wait. What. What am I thinking? Urgh. I must be pretty tired to think of that; I'm gonna sleep when I get home. Tch.

But she really ain't that bad. I bet she's popular with men and women.

"…"

Shut up, brain; stop thinking.

"Hngh…Animal crackers…Ice cream…Mango…Hnmmm…Takoyaki…and chicken…" Emi whispers in her sleep.

I chuckle as she keeps mentioning all sorts of food in her sleep.

Just stop thinking, idiot before you explode or somethin'.

I put my arm on the metal bar next to me and placed my head on my hand. I decided to take a nap too since our stop is still far from where we are. The nap was strangely comfortable even though I never did like sleeping in the train.


	18. Chapter 17: Look at Me

**Chapter 17: Look at "Me"**

Ranmaru's eyebrows furrow. "You, you were off beat! Pay more attention to your beat while playing the drums! And you, your guitar is out of tune; tune it properly would ya?"

The band mates that Saotome assigned to Ranmaru for his concert look at each other with an irritated expression.

"I won't accept you all being like that for the concert. People are going to the concert to have some fun and to hear good music—that's what we're goin' to give 'em! We'll start all over from the top!"

"Kurosaki-san, can't we take a break? We've been at it for a while now." The guitarist says.

"What?! No way that's gonna happen. We just took a break not too long ago! Now tune your guitar right and let's get this over with."

The band mates look at each other in discontent.

"Hey, um , can we finish practice a little early today? I've got a date with my girlfriend tonight so yeah." The drummer says.

"What? You're lucky, man! I wanna go on a date too when I get a girlfriend!" the keyboard player says.

"Hey, if you want one so badly, I can ask my girl to introduce you to her friends." The guitarists says.

"Really? Aw, thanks man! I appreciate it!"

Ranmaru turns around with his eyebrows furrowed. "Cut the chit chat and put your heads back to work!"

* * *

I'm at the agency right now to look for Ranmaru 'cause I want him to check the revised lyrics for the last song of our album as Rose and Thorn. Our singles have been doing great ever since we released the first one; it's always sold out so the agency keeps producing extra batches of the CDs. The agency sells our music online too and our sales have been good there too. I heard from Mana that we even have overseas fans; that's pretty cool.

Ah, there he is. The whole QN group is here.

"Yo Ranmaru, could ya take a look at these for a—"

"Shut up." He suddenly says in a loud and angry tone.

"H-Hey now Ranran, you shouldn't talk like that to Emi-chan." Reiji says cautiously.

Ranmaru glares at Reiji who in response suddenly clams up.

"I'm leavin'."

"Wait a minute Ranmaru—"

"Would you just take a hint and get off of my back, woman?!"

He spoke so loudly and angrily that everyone in the agency suddenly stopped doing whatever they were doing and stared at him. I completely froze in surprise. I've never seen or heard him be this angry before; he's in a really foul mood.

"You women are such bothersome people. All you bring are troubles and inconveniences! You're all nothin' but trouble! To hell with you all!" he shouts.

Everyone in the agency starts to whisper to one another; this catches Ranmaru's attention.

"Tch." He hurriedly walks out without saying anything or looking at anyone.

I go after him and grab his jacket's sleeve. "Ranmaru, do ya need someone to talk—"

He pulls his arm away and continues to walk without a word. He gave me a feeling that felt really cold.

"Are you okay, Emi-chan?" Reiji asks.

I nod. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"I'm really sorry for what just happened. Please forgive him."

"He's been in a foul mood for the past days as things have been going badly for him." Camus says.

"What happened?" I ask

"For what I know, he's currently stressing over his current band mates. As you may know, his concert is coming up soon next month so he's been practicing even more for it. However, his originally assigned band mates had a prior commitment during this month so they're currently performing somewhere and won't be back till the week before the concert. Ranmaru's newly assigned band mates seem to be laid back in nature and they can't keep up with Ranmaru's rigid practice. Lately those band mates have been skipping practice in order to have some fun or in order to go on dates with their girlfriends. Their actions are putting strain and stress on Ranmaru. I do worry about his condition." Ai says.

"I think for today, I'll just give him some space; he needs it."

"I also believe that this is mentally hurting him as this is not the first time that his band mates are abandoning him."

"Yeah, I know the story. He told me about it before. I guess for him, it's like history repeating itself."

"I truly hope that things would go smoothly for him for his own sake." Camus says.

* * *

Damn it! I'm such an idiot!

I punch the wall nearest to me.

I acted like a complete jerk! She didn't deserve that; I know that! Argh! Damn it all! I'm pretty sure she's gonna be avoiding me for some time. Hell, I won't be surprised if she stops talkin' to me because of that. I'm such an idiot.

I sit down at a corner on the floor and take a deep breath. I look up and see the sky. There're no clouds in sight and there's no wind today; it all feels so dry.

There's practice tonight and whether those pieces of crap come or not again, I'm gonna practice. If I need to practice alone, I will.

My head droops down and I stare at the floor. I'm so angry, frustrated, and sad that…that I don't feel anything inside anymore. I just feel empty.

* * *

"You really have gotten fat, Nao. Look at this belly right here."

*meeoow*

He's lying down on my lap and so I decided to rub his belly. It has gotten bigger than I remember; maybe Mana is right about me spoiling him too much lately. Maybe I should put him on a diet.

"Nao, have you been visiting Ranmaru lately?"

His ears flop down. I'm taking that as a 'no'.

"You haven't, huh? I haven't seen or spoke to him for a week now. Camus said he hasn't gotten any better in terms of mood. Sigh. Reiji and Ai said that those band mates of his have stopped going to practice; it's making me worry about Ranmaru."

*meow*

"Nah, I don't think I should talk to him yet. He barely listened at all to a single word the last time I spoke to him in the agency office. Sigh."

The front door of the apartment opens. "Emi, are you home?"

I pick up Nao and walk towards the entrance. "Welcome back, Mana."

"Ah, you're home; that's good. Are you free this evening?"

"I am. Why?"

"I got a call from Saotome on my way back and he was asking if you could fill in for someone who has breach his contract of services."

"Eh?"

"He was a contract worker taken in by Saotome to play the guitar for artists in need of musicians but he has not been showing up for days now so Saotome terminated his contract and the artist that needs a guitarist, well, needs a guitarist."

"I get it. Sure, I can go."

"Thank you; I'll notify Saotome and the artist."

"Sure. Mana, it's Ranmaru isn't it?"

"Sigh. Yes, it's him. He's quite in a tight spot at the moment."

"I'm definitely going. Where's his practice at?"

"Studio 6 in Royal Entertainment. Practice starts at 6:00pm and ends at 11:00pm. I'll pick you up if you're not going home together with Kurosaki."

"Do you have the song list and music sheets?"

"They're in the car. I can go get them for you."

I put on my jacket and grab my bag. "No need. Bring me to the studio right now. I'll study the song list and music sheets on the way."

"It's only 2:47pm. Practice won't start till the evening."

"It's okay. I need to practice on my own to get to know the songs on guitar correctly. I probably know some of the songs already on guitar but my notes may be different from the official ones."

"If you insist. Do your best to help him; I believe he needs it."

I nod. "I'll pull him outta the gutter."

*meow*

* * *

Mana drops me off at Royal Entertainment and I go straight for room Studio 6. The moment I enter the room, The guitarist and drummer was there.

"Oh? We got a chick in here?" the guitarist says.

"Whoa man, it's Eika! I'm a fan! What are you doin' her Ms. Eika?" the drummer asks.

"I'm the replacement for you guys. Saotome terminated your contracts, right?"

"Ah so they got you to take our place, huh? We were gonna officially quit anyway. Working with Kurosaki is such a pain. He's too serious and scary yo." The guitarist says. "Besides, we found another job offer with good pay and less strictness so we're getting outta this job."

"He wouldn't even let us go out on our dates. We need some fun too ya know. Our pianist friend isn't around 'cause he finally landed a date with a friend of this guy's girlfriend; he's lucky 'cause the girl is a bomb!" The drummer says.

"Well maybe you should have scheduled your dates during the day offs or after your contract ends? Work is work ya know. It's unprofessional behavior to schedule dates during work days." I say sternly to them.

"What the hell? You siding with Kurosaki? Ah, I see. Both of you are working together, right? So what? You spread your legs or somethin' for him?" the guitarist puts his arm over my shoulder and touches my face. "I bet I'm better than him in bed. Why don't we get outta here and have some fun somewhere else?"

The drummer laughs as he comes over. "I can join you two if you're into that! It'll be really fun and wild! It's gonna feel good. Hahahaha!"

I swiftly grab the guitarist's arm and twist it with full force; the sound of a broken bone echoed for a second before I flip him over into the air and throw him down to the floor with full force.

"I dare ya to say that again. Kurosaki isn't like that and I'm telling you that his caliber of talent and effort is top tier. You guys are just lazy half-assed musicians that live off of low levelled contracts or jobs. You're all not qualified to be even called professional musicians if this is how ya'll think and behave. Lazy, half-assed, horny perverts is what you all should be called. Men like you deserve to be castrated and tossed into a ditch."

"You wench!" the drummer shouts as he runs to me.

When he was in close distance, I sweep my leg across the floor and he trips and falls onto his guitarist friend.

"GET OUT OF HERE, BOTH OF YOU! You don't deserve to be associated with Kurosaki or Shining Agency! Hell, you shouldn't be working with anyone at all! To hell with you both! GET OUT!"

The two scramble around on the floor before they could get up on their feet. They run away in fear like dogs with their tails between their legs. I regret not breaking a bone from the drummer. The room became completely silent and I was stuck with the instruments without people to play them. My stomach flips a little at the sight; this is kind of a problem.

"Okay Koemi, you can play all of these instruments so don't worry too much; you just have to figure out how to make things function together. Crap. Here we go."

I used to be a one man band so this shouldn't be too hard. What's hard is the fact that I haven't mastered the music sheets yet. Currently, it's 3:20pm so I've got 2 hours and 40 minutes to master the music sheets and to practice on each instrument. We've got a keyboard, guitar, bass, and drums; that's quite a lot. Can I do it?

"That's not the important question! The important question is will I be able to learn and get everything done before practice starts? I will! I should! Crap!"

Without a second to spare I start to read every music sheet and do my best to memorize, if not all, most of them.

"Wow. These are really composed and written well. I wish my songs were this cool."

I used 1 hour and 43 minutes to memorize the music sheet and to play the songs correctly on the drums. I spent about 20 minutes before I could perfect the songs on the guitar and 33 minutes to get it right on the keyboard and record each song using it.

"Oh Buddha, I've never crammed this intensely before but at least I got everything down and ready! Now nature is callin' so off to the toilet I go before practice starts!" I hope that Ranmaru will come to practice and does practice even if all he's got left is my help. I don't want him to sacrifice his career and passion over some stupid idiots who don't appreciate the art of music or the art of rock at all. Ranmaru shouldn't be held back by such people; that man deserves to go nowhere but up. He works hard and righteously. People like him deserve a lot of recognition.

* * *

Minutes later, Ranmaru arrives at the room. The first thing that catches his attention is that there's no one in the room—no band mates.

"This again…" he scowls as he clenches his fists.

The door suddenly opens and when he turns around, he sees Koemi.

"Eh? You've arrived? I'm not late! I just went to the toilet for a moment! I swear I ain't late!"

His expression is tense and sour. "What are you doing here?"

"Saotome found out that your band mates deserted you so I took on the task to replace your band mates. I'm here to help you."

"…Damn it…This all bullshit."

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Home."

"Why?"

"There's no point in practicing if it's gonna be like this. Anyway, the band mates originally assigned to me who were good are comin' back; I'll just practice when they get back."

"…What? But they're returning like a week before your concert! That's too short of a time frame to practice!" I rush over to the instruments. "We've got all these at hand now! The resources and time will be put to waste if we don't use them!"

He says nothing and doesn't even turn around. He takes a step forward and I call out to him.

"Ranmaru!"

"Would you just get off of my business already?! What's it to you if I'm in this shitty situation?! Why don't you just go back to playing along your life?! Stop poking your head in other people's businesses! Women like you are such a problem! All of you like to meddle so much and just create problems everywhere! You all should just shut up and go away! Practice? Practice?! How the hell are we gonna practice with just the two of us here?! We got no one to play the drums or the keyboard! This ain't gonna work, kid. Stupid woman!"

"That's it…I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" I raise my voice never like before.

I grab hold of the microphone stand and thrown it down to the floor with a lot of force. The microphone comes off of the stand and breaks on the ground in pieces.

"Would you just shut up with your misogynistic shit already?! I've known you for a while already and I know deep down inside, you don't really hate women. You're just using them as a scapegoat for your anger towards your old band mates! If you really hate women, you wouldn't love your mother and your sister so much that you'd continue working to the bone for them or to care about how they're doing every now and then! And you wouldn't hang around an idiotic kid like me, right? You can be full of shit sometimes, you know that?! Now suck up the past and move on! You've got more important stuff to deal with now; so important that you'll lose a hell lot of things if you fail. Now get your butt over here and practice with whatever we've got at hand!"

His eyes widen in surprise.

I'm running out of breath from running my mouth but I ain't backing down. "If me being a woman bothers you so much, then don't think of me as one! I don't care if you look at me as a man, as a woman, or as a kid, it doesn't matter! In fact, all the hell you need to do is to look at me as Emi—Nakahara Koemi, the idiotic kid who's a rock idol like you! Don't look at me as a woman but as 'me'! Hell you can even look at me as a cat or something as long as it's not a snake; I don't like snakes and I don't wanna be one!"

I breathe rapidly after I utter my last word. I let out a loud grunt of irritation as I clench my hands in the air.

"GURHHH! DAMN IT ALL! YOUR OLD BAND MATES WERE TRASH, I KNOW! BUT IT ISN'T THE WOMEN'S FAULT SINCE YOUR BAND MATES WERE THE ONES CHOOSING NOT TO PRACTICE AND TO NOT PERFORM IN THE FIRST PLACE. ARGHHH IT'S SO FRUSTRATING!" I take a deep breath. "I don't blame you for being misogynistic but man, you're totally being misogynistic for the wrong the reason! I'd let it pass if a woman broke your heart, harmed you, or something along those lines but dude IT WAS TOTALLY THOSE BASTARD BAND MATES OF YOURS WHO ARE AT FAULT! You're puttin' your anger somewhere it shouldn't be."

I fall down onto my knees as I completely ran out of breath. Lecturing someone sure is tiring; Mana is amazing for being able to lecture people every day at work plus lecturing me at home every now and then. How much breath does Mana have?! Amazing! Sigh. Gods I need air. I haven't gotten this tired since I ran a marathon in high school. I'm glad I became a singer and not an athlete. I'm buying pudding on the way home; I need energy after all this. I'll also get one liter of strawberry milk or banana milk.

"Tch…" This kid is so troublesome. Look at her. She's sticking her nose into someone else's business and feelings. She's so troublesome but…

I walk over to her and squat down to her level.

"Get up." I offer my hand to her. "You ain't gonna catch your breath sitting like that. C'mon, I'll help you up."

She raises a finger at me slowly and then points at me. I'm guessin' she was going to say something but all she could do was kept on catching her breath. She did speak non-stop and said a lot of things…Things she was right about. I have to admit, she's right. I'm acting and thinking wrongly. I took the betrayal of my band mates to heart; I thought I had people who shared the same degree of passion and dedication towards my passion but I was wrong and on top of that, they left me when I needed them the most. I couldn't…I just couldn't come to trust other people the same way again. All these years, I believed that people are gonna come but eventually will leave me hangin' at some point.

"Kid, you should go home—"

"Hell…I ain't goin' nowhere! I came here to help you and that's what I'm gonna do whether you like it or not!" She looks at me straight in the eyes with determination. "You can throw me out over and over again but I'm tellin' you that I'll come back right here even if it means I have to climb into the windows of this building!"

"Whoa, Whoa Whoa, don't do that. Don't do that. That's dangerous."

"It is! But I will do it if I have to!" She says with conviction.

This person—she has to have somethin' wrong with her if she's still willing to hang around someone like me and after the things I said to her. She's an idiot, I'm an idiot—we're both idiots sticking to one another for idiotic reasons probably.

"I'll accept it." I say to her.

"Huh?"

"Your help—I'll take it."

She suddenly smiles as if she won. "Okay! You can't take your words back!"

"I won't."

"Good. Now to officially start practice! I'll play whatever instrument you need me to! For the keyboard, I already recorded myself playing your songs so all we have to do is to play the recordings. I can play the guitar or bass if you want me to but I can suggest that you play the guitar and then I can play the drums so that it's somewhat an almost complete ensemble."

"Since when did you—"

"Record the keyboard parts? I came here really early to study the music sheets and then when the other two musicians cancelled out, that's when I started thinking about what I could do about it so that's when I recorded the keyboard parts and practiced on both the drums' parts and the guitar's parts. I told ya, I came to help you out!"

"You did all that for this?"

"I did it for both the music and you."

She picks up a guitar before I could say anything.

"What are you waitin' for? You gonna practice or what?"

I scratch my head. "Okay, okay, let's get this started. Keep up with me as much as you can, 'kay kid?"

"Heh. Since when did I not?"

"…You got that right." I said to myself as a small smile forms on my face.

When she started playing the first song, she sounded as if she's been practicing for weeks; she's spot on in beat and in tune. Her adlibs were great too; she gave me new ideas to add for the concert. No matter how many songs we played and sang, her sound and performance quality didn't lower one bit—she kept pushing thru and thru. In my eyes, she shined just as much as I thought she could and stayed consistent like no one has done.

I'm thankful she came to help. I was close to giving up for the second time but she proved to me that I should hope from time to time and…she reminded me of how clouded my mind has become over the years. I'm…I'm sorry I was harsh to her; I should really be kinder to you. Besides the guys from QN and Starish, you're the only other person that I think is okay to have around. I'll make it up to ya one day; I really am sorry. If you're okay hanging around with a jerk like me, I hope that I won't drive you away one day. I'll learn to be more patient, I promise. I'm sorry and thank you, Emi. I owe you so much.

"Phew! That was one hell of a practice!" Emi says as she lies down on the ground.

"Oi, the floor ain't that clean. Don't lie down there."

"It's okay! It's Mana's turn to do the laundry tomorrow fufufufu."

"You're a little devil."

"A tired devil. Haha."

I walk over to her. "Emi, um, thanks. Thanks for coming."

"No problem." She shows me a thumb up. "If ya need any help in the future, count me in. What are friends for, right? Well, besides for free food and for special favors haha. Really though, I'll help whenever you need some; just ask and you'll receive. Don't be shy 'cause it doesn't suit a monkey like you."

I smile a little and then lightly poke her forehead. "If you say so, kid."

"Ah, not fair. I'm gonna poke you back. I hate surprise attacks. Come closer! I'm too tired to stand up, lean down more! I'm gonna poke ya twice for revenge!"

"Nu-uh, I won't."

"Hmph. I'll take revenge once I recharge."

"You kinda sounded like Ai for a moment there. Kinda funny."

"Can we go eat somewhere before we return home? I'm—"

 _GRRRRRRRRRRRAAARGHHHHHRRR_

"…"

"…"

"Was that your—"

"Yup. That was definitely my stomach." She says with a straight face. "My stomach is really empty. I'm really hungry."

"Let's go eat then before headin' home. I'll treat ya, is that good?"

"Yup! Sounds good! Free food from friends always tastes good."

"Alright, just don't order too much since my next pay day is still two weeks from now."

"I can share the bill if you want."

"Nah. Like I said, it's my treat."

"Okay." She puts her arms up. "Help."

I chuckle a little. "Hold my hands tightly or else you'll just fall down. Up ya go."

"Whoa you're pretty strong."

"Of course I am. I ain't a weakling."

"Says the man who was gross sobbing while watching the Hachiko movie on tv the other day."

"Hey, you cried a lot too!"

"I did not! I just cried a little!"

"You totally soaked the blanket you borrowed in my apartment."

"Hell no! Half of that blanket was soaked with your tears and snot! Don't put the entire fault on me!"

"Whatever." I chuckle.

"Besides…I ended up washing that blanket…" She says while pouting. "Argh! C'mon let's go and eattt! Eat!"

"Alright, alright already, let's go. Where do you wanna eat?"

"Somewhere with tasty chicken."

"Hm. I think there's a good place a few streets from here."

"There is? Let's go!" She pulls on my arm as we leave the studio building.

"Oi, you're gonna make me trip. Stop pullin' me so much."

"C'mon slow poke! Let's fill our bellies till we can't no more!"

"On a budget level!"

"Yes, yes, I know! C'mon hurry up!"

I laugh at her.

"You…You thought I was like a kid just now didn't you?" she leers her eyes at me.

"I'm not sayin' anything. Haha." I pat her head. "Let's go get some good chicken."

"It's written all over your face. You definitely thought I was like a kid. Hmph."

"Just get over it already."

"No. I refuse. Hmph."

"Suit yourself. The chicken ain't gonna taste good if you're in a bad mood."

"Urgh. I don't want that to happen. Hey, do you think the chicken is gonna taste good?"

"I think so. Yeah."

She suddenly smiles and becomes quiet. What's up with that?

Ranmaru didn't understand that when he said that the chicken will taste good meant that he's no longer in a foul mood; he's happy. For Koemi, that was all she aimed for—she just wanted to make him feel better. Seeing the people you care about in a happy state would of course make yourself feel happy too.


	19. Chapter 18: Surprise

**Chapter 18: Surprise**

"Mssssssss. Nakaharaaaaaaaaa!" Saotome says with a big grin.

"Yeah? Why'd ya call for me so early in the morning, Saotome—Ouch!"

Mana elbows me from my left side and a serious glare shoots me right in the eyes.

"Ahem. I meant Mr. President." I look over at Mana and her expression magically reverted back into her usual business poker face. Gods, that was fast; I just blinked and she was back to normal. Amazing and terrifying!

Satome suddenly stands on his desk. "Mssssss. Nakaharaaaa! I have thought about youuuuuuuuur request to have your own solo concerttttt!"

"You have?! What's your verdict, Saoto—Mr. President?!"

"So far you've been able to impress me with your talent, sales, and popularityyyyy! I think you have what it takes to hold your very first concert!"

"Of course, I do—Mhmnffphmmh!" Mana covered my mouth before I could say more.

"But, I still have some doubtsssss! The first and last time we've seen you perform on a concert stage was during the music festival. All of your other live performances have been in television studios and in venues smaller than a full blown concert stage. I need to see you perform on the real stage once moreeeee!"

"However, the president does not want you to hold another concert prior to your first official solo concert." Mana says.

"That is absoluteeelyyyyyy correctttttt! YEEEEES!"

"So how're ya goin' to find a way to evaluate me?" I ask. This man is complicated as usual.

"That is a greaaaat question, Ms. Nakaharaaa! Behold!"

Saotome jumps into the air and then a rope appears from the ceiling. He grabs the rope and as he swings across the room, the rope gradually lowers; a big poster unveils right before Mana and I. The poster was the promotional visual that was used to promote Ranmaru's solo concert.

"Thisssss will be where I will evaluate you! I am very sure that you know of this concertttt! You have a complimentary ticket after all since it was Mr. Kurrrrosaki's request! Hahahaha! This is where you will perform."

"W-What?! But that's Ranmaru's concert! I'm not going to mess with that! It's his concert! What the hell are you thinking?!"

"There is no need to worry, Mssss. Nakahara! Take a look at this at the bottom of the poster." He points at three pictures on the bottom of the poster which had the words 'Special Guests' attached to them. The third picture was a black star with a white question mark in the middle. "I was thinking about whom to put as the mystery guest since it was intended to be a surprise for the audience. Mr. Kurosaki himself told me to keep it as a surprise for him too and so I have spent the last few months thinking about whom to put. Todayyyy, I have decided on whom to take—that is you, Msss. Nakaharaaaa!"

"Koemi, your mouth is slightly hanging open. Close your mouth; you look silly." Mana says as she gently pushes my chin up to close my mouth with her signature blank work expression.

Saotome grins widely. "The reason I chose you as a stand in for Mr. Kuuuuurosaki's band mates—"

"Ahem. Aside from you being the only one available at the time." Mana smoothly says

"Hahaha….Yes, aside from that." Saotome fixes his neck tie before striking a pose. "It was because I had planned to have you be the mystery guests! Bwahahaha! Based on the feedback I got from Mr. Kurosaki and his acting manager for his solo concert, you performed beyond expectation during the practice sessions. That gave me the final indicator that YOU are perfect for the role of being the mystery guest! Yessssss!"

"Koemi, your mouth." Mana gently closes my slightly opened mouth again.

I didn't know what to say to Saotome who was standing proudly on his desk with sparkles around him. I did not sign up for this. Besides, I was going to watch the concert! I don't want to partake in it!

"Sigh…" I look up and place my hand on my forehead.

Saotome sits down on his desk chair and takes out a piece of paper with the song line up of Ranmaru's concert and another paper that has the stage layout. "So, please make sure you are ready to perform this song on the concert day; you'll be performing Wild Soul with Mr. Kurosaki. When the song starts, you shall sing the first verse in duet with Mr. Kurosaki while playing the guitar; you'll still be underneath the stage at that point. Once the first verse finishes, the stage crew will burst out some flames all over the sides of the stage then two seconds after that, you'll be appearing from beneath the stage right here; you'll be using the trap door on this spot to shoot right up onto the stage with a guitar at hand. In order for you to catch up to the song, the band will an adlib to give you time to present yourself on stage and to allow Mr. Kurosaki to understand that the two of you will be performing a duet. Do not worry about setting Mr. Kurosaki off beat as he knows that the mystery guest will pop out onto the concert at any of the songs so he's partly prepared from being surprised."

"This is seriously weird but cool. Are ya sure 'bout sending me out for this?"

"I am. You've earned my trust thru your high performing projects and sales; I have high expectations from you always and so far you have been surpassing them, Ms. Nakahara. This is the last hurdle you must overcome to get your solo concert."

"Heh." I grin. "This is a hurdle that's nothin' but a piece of cake. I'll make sure to blow away everyone watching and even Ranmaru himself will be surprised to the bone. Watch me properly okay, Mr. President?"

"That's the spiiiiiiirit!"

Mana and I get back to her car and head out to my job for the day.

"I honestly thought you'd be able to watch Kurosaki's concert peacefully; I even arranged your schedule so that you'd be free on the concert day. I can't believe you'll end up performing in the concert. Sigh."

"What can we do? If Saotome says that I have to perform, then I have to. Mana, I have an idea!"

"And what do you have in mind?"

"I'll still go to the concert to watch and when he performs the song before Wild Soul, that's when I'll leave from my seat in the audience and then head over to the back stage to get changed and all."

"I see. Hmm. I think you must mention to Kurosaki that you won't be able to stay until the end of the concert because of a job Saotome has assigned to you at the last minute so that he won't see your disappearance to be something suspicious nor rude."

"That's a good idea. I like that. I'm gonna message him about that now so that I won't forget."

"I'm just happy that you'll be able to watch the concert and perhaps have a good time performing too."

"I think I'll definitely enjoy. I love playing on stage especially if the audience gets into the music. I'll also bet that Ranmaru is gonna be in top shape so I'm pretty sure I'm gonna enjoy performing with him too."

"Well, it's going to become a trial session for your chemistry as a duo. It will be beneficial for Rose and Thorn unit since it will show that you both will be able to perform live well."

"Oh yeah, I didn't think about that. I guess I'll be looking at the music sheets again to review the notes and all; I still got them in my work room."

"By the way Emi, have you made up your mind?"

"Yes, I've decided." I look outside the window of the car. "We"ll move out of the apartment and move into the one you showed me last week. That new place has bigger space and the rent is just right plus the location is kind of hidden away and nearer to the studios and they also allows pets; it's a good choice."

"Okay. I'll start moving our things slowly since I can pass by the new apartment on the way to the agency. When the time comes to move your instruments and the bulkier items, I'll ask Kumagai to bring over his car and to help with handling them."

"Sure." I continue to stare outside the window.

"Feeling sad about moving?"

"Yeah. I've been living there for a long while and now I have to say goodbye to the place. I'm saying goodbye to my home and then I have to say hello to a new one; it's a good thing but I can't help but feel a little sad inside, ya know?"

"I understand."

"I'm going to miss the old lady at the apartment building."

"That grouchy and strict old lady?! I'm definitely not going to miss that old hag. I don't have to bother worrying about Nao being noisy and triggering that old lady's wrath."

"That old lady is nice to me, give her some credit Mana."

"Well she's not very kind to me. Hmph."

I chuckle. "She's just teasing you."

"I'm going to miss Ranmaru."

"I guess you would since you won't be able to hang out as often with him. You're probably going to miss the times he comes over to play with Nao, to eat with us, and the times when he comes to our unit to discuss work. You'll also miss going up to his unit to play and to share our extra food."

"Yeah."

"Well, you can still hang out with him during work and after work if time allows."

"That's true. I guess I can still eat out with him after work before we separate to get home."

"That reminds me, have you remembered how to get to the new apartment via train or bus?"

"I've tried going to the place twice—once via train and once via bus. When I rode the train, I got out one station too early. When I rode the bus, I got down one stop after the stop I was supposed to go down on…"

"You'll learn in time, I guess."

"What's with the doubt?"

"Nothing, just not trying to be too confident."

"Hmph. I don't get lost all the time!"

"You'll be going to Kurosaki's concert in disguise, right?"

"Ah. I think I should or else I'll get attention from the crowd and it'll ruin the surprise."

"I'll make sure to prepare your wig and clothes then on the concert day. Please wear a face mask when you're not yet in the venue."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Maybe I should pack you some sandwiches and some tea in a thermo mug. I'll include an umbrella and a small towel too."

"I'm not going on a fieldtrip, Mana. Food and drinks aren't allowed in the stadium anyway."

"I can speak to the checkers to let you bring those items since you're going to perform anyway on stage so as a performer you have some exceptions."

"Mana. Stop. Please. No. No, thank you. Stop being my mother."

"I can buy you a lunchbox if you want to fit everything inside. I saw a pink lunchbox with flower designs on sale in the department store the other day; I could get you that."

"Hell no! DON'T YOU DARE!"

* * *

"The line starts here! Please line up orderly so that everyone can enter the venue smoothly! Please do not push to avoid hurting one another!" A man with a sign and a megaphone says.

Wow. There're a lot of people. Well this is expected since the concert sold out on tickets; way to go, monkey! Uh, I think this is the end of the line? Yup, I'm right. Whoa, there are a lot of people lined up both on front of me and behind me. This is kind of getting me excited hehe. Out of all the things Mana tried to make me bring, I got an umbrella and small towel with me.

Man, it's a good thing I came to the venue early. The line for the concert merchandise was pretty long. I got to buy the concert shirt, shoulder bag, light stick, and the cool metal badge shaped like a skull.

A woman passes by and accidentally hits my shoulder. "Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bump you."

"It's okay. No need to worry. There are so many people that it's not impossible to bump someone by accident.

The woman fixes her eyes on me and for a solid minute, she did nothing but stare at me. "Excuse me but you seem to be familiar. Have we met before? I feel like I know who you are."

"N-No! We definitely haven't met before. Maybe you're mistaking me for someone else."

"But I really have a strong feeling that I know who you are."

"The line is moving now so I'll have to go. See you!" Thank goodness the line started to move; she must be a fan of mine too to be able to recognize me unconsciously even if I'm wearing a disguise. Phew.

"Whoa." The stage looks really cool! It got lots of cool motifs like skulls and studs everywhere! The curtains are blood red and dark black; they contrast well with the bright stage.

"Excuse me, are you looking for your seat?" One of the ushers asks upon seeing me gawking at the stage.

"A-Ah yeah, here's my ticket."

I hand over my ticket to him and he reads it.

"You've got a VIP ticket so your seat is over there by the front area in the middle; you're on the second row directly on front of the center stage."

"Thank you."

The usher smiles at me before returning my ticket.

"Whoa. So near." The seat I got is so near the stage. If Ranmaru would stand right there on the very tip of the center stage, he'd be about just three to four arm's length away.

I put on the concert shirt over the shirt I'm wearing and take out the light stick I bought. I haven't gone to a concert in a long while so this is really making me excited especially the sight of seeing the stadium getting filled as time goes by. It gets really cool when the audience starts to synchronize with the movement of their light sticks and when we chant and sing with the songs of the singer. This brings me back to the old days when I'd buy a concert ticket if I had enough money to go to one. Now, I have enough money to buy a concert ticket whenever I want to go and because of my work, I can even get free tickets; this is a huge change compared to the past.

"It's so hard to breathe with a face mask. I'm gonna take it off. Anyway, I'm all the way here at the front so people ain't gonna pay attention much and I'm in disguise mode too." Plus the woman from earlier ain't around so I think I'm safe.

After some minutes, the lights suddenly turn off and smoke starts filling up the floor of the stage as white and red light beams light up the stage.

"Are you guys ready for a wild night?" A loud husky voice asks. "I ain't letting you all go without shaking your very core, ya hear me? This night is gonna be the best dream you're ever gonna have!"

The lights from behind the stage suddenly all turn on at the same time, revealing the silhouette of the band and the star of the night, standing in the middle of the stage—Ranmaru.

"Let's start rockin' this place down." He says in a really cool way.

He suddenly points up to which the drummer and guitarist suddenly plays a cool set of notes.

I'm getting goosebumps from this!

The drummer suddenly hits his drums hard and he and the guitarist suddenly pause. Ranmaru jumps into the air and the moment his feet touch the ground, all the lights fully light up to reveal everyone on stage. The band also starts to play hard the intro of their first song—No. 1.

The crowd starts to swing their bright red light sticks together and I get caught up in the hype and swing my light stick to the beat of the song as well.

Ranmaru and the band is really in sync. The music they're playing together really gives you shivers inside and you just can't help but sing along and move with the beat. They're like a drug you can't get enough of. The more you hear them and taste their music, the more you want to hear and sing.

"We're only on the first song and y'all so energetic. Ya sure you're all gonna survive until the end of the night?!" He asks loudly.

The whole crowd shouts yes loud and clear. Ranmaru, satisfied, smiles proudly at the crowd.

"You all better keep your word 'cause I got no plans in lettin' you all down tonight! Keep up with me, would ya?"

The crowd cheers loudly. Ranmaru moves on to the next song and gods, he's shining brighter and brighter as each song progresses. I find myself enjoying more and more and the next thing I knew, I was cheering and responding to his questions with the crowd unconsciously.

I think the song they're gonna sing no is 'Not Bad'.

" _Futo furikaereba omae ga_ "

The moment he turns around as he said that line in his song, our eyes met. I could tell he saw me and recognized me because his eyes widened for a split second.

He becomes more energetic as the song goes on. In the end, they added a really cool adlib and the lights created a really cool effect that made the whole stage light up with gradients of red, white, and black.

The crowd goes wild the moment the song finished. Ranmaru waves to them momentarily while waiting for the crowd to settle down a little before moving onto the next song. Our eyes meet again and this time I flash him a thumb up to say he did a good job. He smiles while looking at me for a brief moment before turning back to his band. The next song was 'Bright Road'.

This is one of my favorite songs by him! I'm glad they're performing it! I really hoped that they would play this song! It sounds so good live!

" _Futari dake no sekai e I'll Rock You_ "

When he sang that line, he pointed at me. It could have just been a coincidence though so I dunno what to make of it. When the chorus entered, I sang along with it with lots of energy but I was surprised though because when he sang the first phrase of the chorus, he looked at me straight in the eyes. I would normally brush it off but it was slightly different. I dunno how to describe it but it just gave me a different feeling that I can't really point out or describe.

When the song ended, he held up his hand that held the microphone.

I open the pamphlet that had the song line up written on it and before I knew it, the concert was going to end soon. The song that he's going to sing next is 'Only One' which is the second to the last song; I have to go to the back stage now since Wild Soul is the last song. I hurriedly put my light stick and pamphlet into my shoulder bag. I look up on stage and luckily, he looked over to me. I waved goodbye to him to which he responds with a small nod. I put on my face mask back and make my way out of my aisle. His expression mellowed down slightly as I left; it makes me look forward to his reaction when he discovers that I'm his mystery guests. Hehe.

* * *

The concert is so far going really well. The crowd has been happy up till now; it's just motivating more and more to go on.

Hm?

The kid is waving at me. I guess she's leavin' already; too bad she won't last 'til the end. I bet she had a great time. I can see her from up here on the stage; she was singing and dancing to the songs just as much as everyone else did.

When the crowd hears the intro of the next song, they cheer once again with all their might. I've been performing several times on a stage like this but it always amazes me to see a crowd synchronized in waving their light sticks; it's just so mesmerizing to look at and it makes ya feel good performing for them.

" _Honne no uta oozora e Shoutin'! Tokihanatou Honki no True Voice!_ "

Hm. I gave Saotome the power to choose who'd my mystery guest would be but so far the concert is endin' and the mystery guest hasn't appeared yet. It's either the mystery guests is gonna appear in the next song or not at all. Heh. I ain't gonna be surprised if Saotome didn't get to decide on the third guest since I could tell from our last meeting that he was still unsure on who to put up for the role. Truth is that I gave Saotome the power to choose 'cause even I couldn't think of anyone to get.

" _Dancin' Heart, Dancin' Heart. Saa ikou ka? Rockin' Heart, Rockin' Heart. Only one dream Let's go!_ "

Either way, I'm gonna start and end this concert with a hell lot of energy!

The song ends and as expected, the crowd goes wild.

"You all really kept your word of keepin' your energy up! You guys just keep on making me inspired to keep the level of energy goin'!"

The crowd responds loudly and happily.

"Well, it's been a great night bein' with you all but just like any dream, the concert is gonna end. I really wanna perform longer but I can't. The next song is my last song for you awesome people here tonight. Just because it's the last song it doesn't mean I'm gonna slack off! I'm goin' to pour out all the energy I've got left on this one so I hope you guys would too!"

The crowd responds and cheers as I get ready to start the final song of the night—'Wild Soul'.

From my peripheral vision, I notice that my guitarist quietly exits the stage. I'm guessin' that the mystery guest is gonna pop out during this song. Maybe the old man got a popular guitarist to be the mystery guest. I wonder how the guest is gonna make his entrance; I'm just sure that it's gonna be good.

" _Zenryoku kaihou catharsis, tsuppashitte you can see! Jiyuu e we can fly! Joujou jinsei kokkara let's start!_ "

Eh? Someone's singing along with me?

" _It's a wild soul!_ "

The stage is suddenly lit up by flames all around.

Whoa, those effects are impressive. So who's our mystery guest of the night?

Suddenly someone with a guitar shoots up straight into the air from beneath the stage. "How are you all doin' tonight, everyone?!" The person asks in a loud and energetic voice.

What the?!

The band suddenly plays an adlib I've never heard of before. I think they're stalling time.

"Tonight's been great, right? Let's keep it that way 'til we run out of time! Isn't that right, Ranmaru?"

"So you're my mystery guest, huh?"

"Got a problem with it?"

"Ya know that I got none of that tonight."

We smile at each other with full determination. I put the microphone on one of the microphone stands and take a bass guitar from a staff member from the side of the stage. Emi and I join in on the adlib that the band made up for her entrance before continuing the song. It totally got the crowd standing on their feet. Our guitars were loud and clear, electrifying everyone who could hear us play.

" _Hinmagatta kako uragiri no sora. Agaki mogaku gaki no hassou_ "

Emi then sings the next phrase of the song. " _Inu mitai ni urusaku hoete. Nani wo mamottetanda?_ "

We then sang the next one together. " _Tsuyosa no imi ga wakaranakatta. Te wo nobashi yatto kidzuita. Honnou mukidashi no W.I.L.D. Soul!_ "

When the chorus came in, the whole stadium was singing in unison.

" _Saikou na jikan wo oretachi wa kagayaku!_ " That one last phrase in the song was where we all poured the last ounce of our energy in.

The sight before me was incredible. Everyone was standing—Everyone! They couldn't stop from cheering and shouting from where they stand.

"Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore!" The crowd chants.

"Hey, looks like your fans are requesting for an encore. Ya gonna give them what they want?" Emi asks.

"There's no way in hell I'm gonna deny their request." I turn to the crowd and speak thru the microphone. "You all still got energy for an encore?"

The crowd goes wild and shouts yes so clearly that I was impressed.

"An encore is what ya ask for, then an encore is what you get!"

The crowd jumps up and down in excitement and joy.

When I turn to look at Emi, she walks towards the back stage. I go after her and grab her wrist.

"Where ya goin'?" I ask her.

"To the backstage, duh. You're gonna perform your encore so I'm giving the floor to you."

"Do you know the encore song?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Then you ain't goin' anywhere, Emi."

"Huh? What?"

"You're staying on the stage with me."

"But it's your encore; you should perform it yourself 'cause it's your concert."

"Yeah. I know it's my concert so that means it's gonna go the way I want it to go. Right now, I want you to do the encore with you."

"But—Hey!"

I pull her back gently on stage. "Eika here is gonna join us on the encore. Y'all okay with that?"

The crowd replies positively and I look at Emi with a smirk.

"Fine, fine, fine, you win this time monkey."

"Whatever, kid."

The two powerful guitars, along with the rest of the band, and the energy in the air blew everyone away completely; the encore was a huge success. It took a solid five or ten minutes before the crowd could mellow down.

I look at Emi with pure satisfaction and joy. We both form a fist and bump each other's hand.

"You all were really great tonight. I hope you enjoyed lots; hope to see you again next time!"

After waving some more to the audience, I leave the stage together with my band and Emi.

"That. Was. AWESOME." Emi says with enthusiasm. "I wish that I was in the crowd instead of performing on the stage!"

"What the hell are ya sayin'?" I ruffle her hair roughly. "The last song and the encore wouldn't have been as awesome as that if you weren't there with me."

"Hngh but I would have wanted to watch that insteaddddd!"

"How the hell could ya watch yourself live?"

"Hnghhhhh. I'm buying the DVD of this concert; I'm gonna watch everything with the concert shirt and light stick and everything! With food!"

"Heh. You can be really silly, ya know that?"

"Wait! Hey, Ranmaru, could you wait here for a moment?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Just! Just wait, okay? Just stay right here; I"ll be back before a minute ends!"

"Okay?"

She runs off down the hall and just as she said, she came back before a minute ends. That was fast. Really fast.

She hands over to me a small bouquet of flowers that has red and yellow flowers. "I couldn't get black or grey flowers since they don't exist so I got yellow ones since red and yellow look good together; I think it's a happy combination."

"What are these for?"

"Congrats on a successful concert! Isn't it normal to give someone flowers after a performance? That's what Yasuko used to tell me. Back when she was still alive, every time I finished a small gig for money, she would give me some flowers or something as a congratulatory gift so I thought of doing the same for ya. You did a really good job."

I smile at her. "Thanks, I appreciate the token Emi."

She smiles back at me.

Without thinking, I place my hand on her head and pull her close to my chest.

"Eh?! W-Whaaa!"

"Ah!" Realizing what I just did, I immediately let go of her and step back. "A-Anyway I'm gonna get changed and all so, uh, get home safe. Bye."

I head into my dressing room immediately.

"What the hell did I just do?!" I say to myself.

I place the small bouquet on the vanity table before removing my shirt to get changed. A nice warm bath would be nice once I get home; I'm all sweaty.

As I get changed, I end up staring at the small bouquet from time to time.

"Damn it." I cover the lower half of my face in embarrassment as I recall what I just did to Emi. "I almost kissed her forehead…"

This feeling…It can't be, right? There's no way that I look at her that way…or maybe I already have?

"Tch. Damn it. What have I gotten into this time?"

I gather my things and make my way out of the stadium. I told my manager that I'll just commute on the way home since he lives in the opposite direction. I insisted that he go home ahead to rest since he'll have a hell lot of paperwork to do tomorrow about the concert. I wish I could help the guy but I know nothing about that paperwork.

Ain't that Emi over there by the pedestrian? "Oi kid, what're you still doing here?"

"Ranmaru? I thought you went home already 'cause I saw your manager's car leave earlier."

"I told him to go on home; he lives in the opposite direction."

"Mana was supposed to pick me up but when I tried calling her several times, she won't pick up so I decided to commute home."

"That's unusual. Do you think somethin' happened to her?"

"She's probably asleep; she sleeps kind of early 'cause she wakes up early. She doesn't really wake up except to the sound of her alarm. It's hard to wake her up with anything else."

"I'll go home with ya; it's late already."

"If you want to."

"I have a question, were you able to see me in the audience from the stage?"

"Of course since your seat is right in the middle and at the front too. I even clearly saw your thumb up and I nodded back, right?"

"How'd ya recognize me? I improved my disguise so I was a little surprised that you were still able to recognize me."

"I dunno. I just knew it was you when I saw you."

"You're weird. Here I thought you were just looking at my area by coincidence. Why'd you have to look at me so many times while you were performing?"

"What are you talkin' about? I wasn't looking at you that much."

"Oh hell you were!"

"It was all in your head."

"No it wasn't."

"It was."

"Ranmaru, if ever you get another concert or even just a small gig, tell me okay? I wanna attend."

"Sure thing. I'd be happy to have ya in the crowd."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Hm. I guess you're fun to have around."

The moon's out tonight and there are a couple of stars hanging up. It's refreshing to have this calm and quiet atmosphere after being in a loud and lively concert. It's not bad to have this kind of change of pace but every time I close my eyes, I recall the stadium and the concert that I just had; it was really fun. If I had to choose a part that I liked the most, it would be when we performed Wild Soul. That performance was on a whole other level.

I take a quick glance to my right side and see Emi.

That song was fun and became something more because you were there by my side. We're on equal grounds in terms of talent, kid. It makes me wanna perform with you again soon.

"Pffft."

"Hm? What did you laugh for, Ranmaru?"

"It's nothing. Don't mind me."

Probably didn't expect this but I guess I really have started to change in more ways than one. Specially in this way; I never thought I'd start liking someone like this. Maybe it's because she's on par with my level of expectations and skills. I think it's also because we get to see eye to eye more often compared to others. Maybe it's more on the side that we get along. Whatever the reason, I've got time to find out why. Until then, I'll just see where these feelings take me.

"Wanna go get something to eat before we ride the train?"

"Won't we miss the last ride home?"

"Nah, we've got some time on our hands before the last train."

"Okay, let's go eat."

Wherever I go, whatever I do, I'm starting to hope that this kid will continue to surprise me more and more until I get pushed to surprise her back.

* * *

The next day, the news was filled with positive reviews and clips of Kurosaki Ranmaru's concert; his duet with Koemi is always highlighted and is refered to as the best performance during the concert. In Kurosaki Ranmaru's apartment, the vase he got as a present from an old friend finally sits on one of his window sills with red and yellow flowers inside that get watered and get cared of every single day thereon.


	20. Chapter 19: The Cat Fairy

**Chapter 19: The Cat Fairy**

Another day, another job. Today though isn't the typical job that's given to me; this time I'm filming a commercial—for Degree Cat Food! The best part about this job is that I get to work with Nao! When they found out that I had a cat, they requested to have him as the model for the commercial.

*meoowww*

"You're doing great, Nao. Just a little longer and I think we'll finish with the shoot. Isn't it great that we get paid with a year's supply of cat food?! You won't be goin' hungry for the next year for sure because of this job!"

*meow* Nao happily jumps up and down on front of me.

"Calm down, Nao. You wouldn't want that red ribbon aroun' your neck to come off; you need it for the commercial. Hm, it looks really cute on you now that I think about it. Maybe we should ask if you could keep it."

"Degree Cat Food. Take 12. Action!" A staff member says.

Nao jumps onto the platform in the middle of the studio set and does some really cute poses.

I enter the set in a magician's outfit—they made me wear a white collared long sleeve shirt with a sparkling black vest on top. They then gave me a royal purple colored swallow tail coat with a matching top hat of the same color but with a black ribbon tied around it.

"Hello there little fella, you've got a good lookin' coat of fur and a healthy frame! I bet I know what kind of trick your owner has been using!"

I roll down the top hat across my arm and let it fall upside down on the platform beside Nao. I then take out a fancy magic wand from the inside of my left sleeve.

Nao approaches the hat and peeks inside to find nothing. He sits properly and looks at me.

"One little can that's filled with flavor. Vitamins and minerals that work in your favor." I tap the hat with my wand after reciting each phrase. "Not too much, not too little, just enough to solve a health riddle!"

After tapping the hat for the third time, it suddenly jumps up. Nao acts surprised. Once it falls back onto the platform, I put my hand inside the hat and pull out a small can.

"A love of high degree. Nothing but—!" I roll the can across my arms and shoot it up into the air. Nao then jumps up into the air to catch the can; the camera zooms at him the moment he lands on the platform. "Degree Cat Food!"

I hold my hand up to which Nao responds by climbing onto my shoulders and placing the can on my hand. I then open the can and throw it up into the air. I immediately pull out a cat dish from the top hat and once the can of cat food turns upside down, I catch the cat food with the cat dish and place in on the table in a smooth sweep.

"The best kind of magic is the ability to give happiness!"

Nao goes to the cat dish and tastes the food. He then meows happily and smiles at the camera.

"As you can see, his smile and joy compares to no degree. Experience the magic of a happy cat. Buy a can of Degree Cat Food."

*meow*

"Degree Cat Food! Show your level of love with magic!"

And…cut! Good job, Nakahara-san! That was perfect!"

I give a thumb up to the director. "Thank you for your hard work as well!" I then bow to the staff members. "Good work, everyone! Thank you for your efforts and for taking care of me!"

Nao puts his head down too as if he's trying to bow to them. This causes everyone to call him cute and smart. Hehe, that's my cat!

"The way you caught the cat food was quite impressive, Eika." Mana says as she takes the swallow tail coat and magic wand from me.

"You have no idea how many cans of cat food I used to practice that. Nao definitely enjoyed watching me practice that move since he gets to eat whatever food falls."

*meow*

"You did a great job, lil' man. You've earned your feast!"

*meoooooow*

Mana pats his head to congratulate Nao for doing a really good job. I won't be surprised if they call for him to star in their next commercial or be a model for the company's posters.

We make our way into my dressing room so that I could get changed.

"Emi, I was watching you thru the television set with the director and I must say that you really look great thru the monitor. Perhaps I should have you start accepting more commercials and perhaps have you take auditions for small roles in television series. Putting you in acting classes would be a good investment, I think."

"What?! But I don't want to go into acting! I couldn't even fool my high school teacher that I was sick when I wanted to skip class!"

"That's what the lessons are for."

"No." I cross my arms up to form an 'X'. "I am not going into acting. I hate memorizing so many lines and I feel so silly acting as characters. No, Mana. No."

"Are you sure? I won't give up on convincing you to go into acting."

"Why do you keep insisting that I go into acting, Mana? You've got some loose screws again. Take a vacation."

"Emi, you've got a good face and you have a lot of control over your expressions. You might even do well in action shows since you are quite athletic and strong so you can do the stunts yourself."

"Sounds cool but it's not my thing, Mana. I just want to stay in the music industry and nothing more. Sure, I can go into commercials like this and variety shows but that's as far as I want to go. I love music more than acting."

"Suit yourself. I won't force you but I won't stop suggesting it from time to time."

"Sigh. Isn't that indirectly pushing me to do it?" I say sarcastically.

She chuckles.

*meow meow*

"Are you hungry again? You'll have to hold out until we reach my next job's venue; I'll feed you when we get there."

*meow*

Nao rubs his face against my arm before jumping onto Mana's lap.

"Ack! Get off of my lap, Nao!"

"He's just showing some affection to ya. Hehe."

"Into the car you go." She says as she picks up Nao and heads for the dressing room's door. "I'll wait for you in the car. Check your things before you leave."

"Okay."

Nao looks good with accessories on. I want to give him some more accessories but the ones in the pet shops are either too girly or too plain. If I make my own accessories, it would take up some time.

"Sigh. It's always so hard to buy clothes and accessories for both humans and cats!"

As I walk thru the studio while saying goodbye to the staff, my phone rings in my pocket.

"Hello?"

"Emi, it's me Ranmaru."

"Oh hey, what's up?"

"I was on break from work a while ago and then I found something in a nearby shop that you might like. I'll send ya a picture of it after this call. Message me if you're interested in it or not 'cause if ever you want it, I can buy it after work."

"Okay, sure. What is it anyway?"

"You'll see. I'll send the pic now. Bye."

"Bye."

Shortly after the call, I receive a photo from him—it's a cat collar. My eyes sparkle as I admire the design. The collar was black with a white skull that had red eyes.

"This is absolutely adorable!"

I immediately reply to tell him to buy it and almost instantly I receive a reply from him.

" _I'll get it after work. You don't have to pay me back since it doesn't cost much. I'll give it to ya back at the apartment._ "

That's kind of him but I'll get him something to eat in return. It would be unfair if he won't get something in return. Typical monkey.

I sit on the front passenger seat. Nao jumps from Mana's lap to mine.

"Oh, you kept the ribbon on Nao?"

"Yes. Somehow it suits him quite well. It's cute." Mana says as she drives the car.

"Emi, do you remember Otori Eiichi?"

"Is that the crazy kid of Raging Otori?"

"Yes."

"Oh great Buddha, don't tell me I received a job to work with him again?"

"That is the case."

*meow*

Nao snuggles in my arms while we playing with his tail.

"Saotome couldn't turn down the request because it's from a big clothing company—Kingly Masquerade. Your previous work with him yielded great response and results so the company is willing to have you two together as models for their new collection."

"But Manaaaaaaaa!"

"I've never been wrong in choosing your jobs and opportunities so I recommend you sign the contract for this job."

I think about it until Mana mentions something.

"Emi, they're going to give the clothes that you'll be wearing in the shoot to you for free. They'll also be providing food."

"Hmm…"

"Kurosaki is also going to be there because I saw his name in the list of models for the shoot."

"Really? He doesn't really take modelling jobs unless it's as a group with QN. He probably did it for the free clothes and the food too."

Mana chuckles. "Yes, he probably did. You two are easily convinced and bribed with food."

"It's hard…to deny food…"

*meow*

"Right, Nao?"

*meooow*

* * *

"Thank you very much for coming today! Your interview was a lot of fun and we enjoyed the song that you performed for us. Your interview will be aired this weekend. Thank you for your hard work."

"Thank you too for havin' me."

My manager approaches me. "Kurosaki-san, I've finished my paperwork while you were working. I can drop you off at your place if you'd like."

"Really? That's great news 'cause I was going to buy a load of cat food from a nearby pet shop that I found during my break."

"I can help you carry the cat food. You usually buy two sacks, right?"

"Thanks a lot. Let's go get 'em so that you can also get home early to rest."

"Thank you for your concern, sir. I'm blessed to be managing a kind person like you. Some managers have it rough when they get assigned to a talent with attitude especially those with diva complexions."

"I heard about those kinds of cases. I don't understand why they would treat their managers so badly when their managers are also a factor of their success. Managers work really hard to promote the person they're in charge of and then they do all of the negotiations and paperwork too. The hardest part of their job is fixing and maintaining schedules. It's also hard to make amends when the person they're in charge of makes a mistake or behaves badly. Idols, actors, dancers, all they do is perform and do what they have to do. That in itself is hard and takes a lot of practice and constant work. But if you don't have a good manager who can land you jobs and opportunities or if you're under an agency that doesn't take care of you, you won't rise up much or at all even if you keep workin' to the bone; if you can't get work then your talent alone won't cut it."

"Kurosaki-san, you are an amazing person." My manager's eyes are sparkling.

"Don't go fanboying on me now. We gotta get the cat food; the cats at the apartment are gonna go hungry if we don't."

"Yes! Right behind you, Kurosaki-san! Do you want me to bring the car?"

"No need for the car; the pet shop is just nearby on foot. Besides, if you take the car with us, you'll have to pay for parking again."

We reach the pet store and got the two sacks of cat food.

"Hey, you sure you can carry that?"

My manager wryly smiles at me as he puts his arms around one of the sacks of cat food on the counter. "Do not worry about me, Kurosaki-san. I can definitely carry this! One sack for each of us!"

"You sure? I can carry them both without a sweat."

"He…he…he…Strong as always aren't you, Kurosaki-san. I'm glad that you take care of your physical strength!"

I watch my manager struggle with lifting the sack of cat food. I've got to hand it to him—he got to lift the sack and walks with it in his arms towards the pet shop door.

"I'll go on ahead and put this one in the trunk of the car."

"Go ahead."

I decide to check something first before leaving the shop. Once I reach the shelf I had in mind, I smile in satisfaction. The collar that I took a picture of was still there.

I reach out for it and was about to take the collar until someone suddenly took it from behind me.

"This is such a wonderful piece!" The man wearing glasses says.

"Oi! I was goin' to get that! You took it outta the shelf all of a sudden."

"It's not my fault if you didn't reach out for it sooner. It's a first come, first serve basis; you do not obtain what you do not grab hold of first."

"What the hell are you talkin' about, jerk?! I was obviously here first. You just up and took it out of nowhere! I already had my hand goin' for it!"

"Your hand was going for it but you didn't grab it yet so I took it. I won't be letting anyone take this from me because there's a little bird that I want to befriend but she hasn't contacted me since we parted ways. I'm going to give this to her as a gift."

"Why don't you go buy some bird seeds or somethin' if that's the case?! The bird section is over there!"

"You are feisty, aren't you? What would you do with this anyway?"

"I'm buyin' it for a friend who's got a cat."

"Just for a friend? My aim is much higher than yours. I aim for my little bird's heart—Hey!"

While he was yapping his mouth, I took the collar from his hand and ran for the counter. What an idiot.

"Hey you! Come back here! I got that collar first!"

"Well not I got it, bird head!"

The old man at the cashier works fast so I was able to pay before darting away with the collar and the one sack of cat food. The bird brain with glasses wasn't able to stop me and gave up half way thru. Serves that rude bird right!

"Kurosaki-san! You took a while to get back. Did something happen?"

"Kind of. I just got something else in the pet shop."

"Oh, okay. I thought something might have happened to you. Let me help you put that cat food in the trunk."

"No need, just open the trunk and I'll put it in."

"Okay, sir!"

"I told you before not to call me 'sir'. I'm not used to it and I find it awkward; just use my name."

"My apologies, Kurosaki-san."

* * *

After leaving the pet shop, I walk towards a nearby parking lot where my brother is waiting for me with our driver.

"Where did you go, brother?"

"I was going to buy something but a monkey got the item instead." I say grumpily.

"A monkey?"

"Don't mind it, Eiji. Let's just get back to the agency."

I give the driver a nod and he proceeds to drive.

Sigh…That white haired monkey from Shining Agency beat me! What will I give to my pretty little bird now? Sigh…I finally get to see her and work with her again but I'm left empty handed.

"Is there something wrong, brother? You seem troubled. Does it have something to do with the monkey you mentioned earlier? I didn't know monkeys are being sold in pet shops now. Isn't that illegal though?"

"If you really must know, the monkey was a person and that person basically bought what I wanted to buy for Eika."

"Oh, I understand now. So that's why you're feeling down. You could get her something else instead."

"Sigh. It's just that when I saw that item in the pet shop, it reminded me of her instantly."

"What was it?"

"It was a cat collar with a skull ornament."

"A cat collar…? Why would you give her a cat collar?"

"I heard that she owns a cat and loves it a lot so I thought she would like to have that collar; the design fits her taste perfectly."

"What's done is done, brother. If ever you need help in looking for another gift for Eika-san, I can help you."

"Thank you for the offer, Eiji. You're such a good brother; I'm lucky to have you."

My precious little brother smiles at me and I pat his head.

"Being kind to someone will always yield results. I will definitely be kind to her and show her my affection! Bwahahahaha! If she is my precious little bird, then I shall become a tree that can protect her and nurture her!"

"Good luck, brother. Please do your best not to weird her out; you can be over the top sometimes."

It was quiet in the car for some time until Eiji suddenly spoke while we were stopped at an intersection.

"Hm? Brother, isn't that Eika-san over there?"

"What?! Where?!"

I scoot over to Eiji's side and look out from his window.

"Isn't that her? Over there by the restaurant with a cow mascot?"

I look at the direction that Eiji is pointing and right there, by the window of the restaurant with a cow mascot, was Eika ordering some food by the counter. She looks healthy; I'm happy to see her in good shape. Her career has been blooming very well; I'm very sure since I always buy her singles and albums whenever they come out. It is a little strange though that she hasn't been given a chance to hold her own concert despite her talent. What could Shining Saotome be thinking? If she had her own concert, I'm very sure that it would be a full house. I'll definitely attend her concert! Sometimes I wish that she had entered Raging Entertainment instead of Shining Saotome. It would have been great to have her around. Urgh. It annoys me every time I remember that Kurosaki Ranmaru had performed with her already. I'm quite envious every time I remember!

The car moves forward as the stoplight had changed. Gradually, Eika escapes my eyes and her smile as she left the shop was imprinted in my mind.

"She bought a lot of food." Eiji thinks for a moment. "The food seemed a lot to be just for her."

"Maybe she bought food for her manager too; the two of them live together."

"I see. That could be the case."

* * *

"Do you need help in bringing the cat food into your apartment, Kurosaki-san?"

"I can take it from here. Drive safely home."

"Alright, you take care too! See you next week. Please eat properly."

I watch as my manager's car drives away.

"That guy needs to exercise more often." I head into the apartment lobby and bring up the two sacks of cat food into my place.

I take a medium sized plastic box and start putting some of the cat food inside it. I then take some plastic bowls and the plastic box with me. After reaching the lobby, I exit thru the back door.

*meow*  
*meoooow*  
*meow*  
*meoww*  
*meow*  
*meeoooowwww*  
*meow*

"Looks like the whole gang is here as usual. I finished work on time today so I ain't late this time. I bought you all some food again. It's different from the usual since I didn't pass by the usual shop; I hope you guys don't mind."

I scatter the plastic bowls and one by one, I fill them up with cat food. The stray cats patiently wait for me to fill the bowls before they eat from them.

"Alright, chow down as much as you need."

As the cats ate, I just stood there and watched over them. They seem to be healthy and they're complete today.

*click*

The sound of someone taking a picture slightly echoes in the area. I turn around to see Emi standing by the back door. She waves at me.

"Why did you take a picture?"

"I just wanted a souvenir that I've met the cat fairy." She says with a smile.

"Cat fairy?"

"Well, the kids in the neighbourhood have been spreading a story about a cat fairy that has been feeding the stray cats lately. They've noticed that the stray cats around this area have been healthy and that their fur has been in good condition so they thought that there was a Good Samaritan feeding and taking care of them—the Cat Fairy."

I roll my eyes once I hear the silly name that the kids of the neighbourhood made. "Don't post that picture anywhere. I don't wanna be called the cat fairy. Besides, I don't the paparazzi to know where I live either."

"If you say so but I'm still keeping the picture."

"Do what you want."

She watches the cats eat the food I gave them but I find it weird that she stays by the back door she won't come closer when that would be the most obvious reaction that she would have upon seeing the cats.

"Why are you just standing over there? You don't want to come closer to the cats?"

"You don't know how much I want to get closer but I can't."

"Why?"

"Because of this." She lifts up a plastic bag. I recognize the logo on the plastic bag; it's from a restaurant.

"I think it's better that you stay there then. The cats might attack you for the food you got."

"Yeah."

We watch the cats finish their food. It's cute how the stray cats eat seem so happy to have something to eat and it's amazing how they don't eat in a messy manner; these cats have manners.

*meow*  
*meooow*  
*meow*"

"Hey, hey, hey, don't be too noisy or else the management of the apartment building will chase you all out. I can't play this time since I'm too tired from work and I haven't eaten lunch or dinner."

"What?! You skipped meals again?! Do you have a death wish or somethin' Kurosaki?!"

"I was working!"

"Well, it doesn't mean you let yourself starve!"

"Tch. I'm fine, kid."

The stray cats start to leave one after the other since I wasn't going to play with them; I don't have their toys this time.

"They're leaving already? Is this what normally happens? Like they eat and run?"

"Usually I'd play with them after they eat but I guess they understood that I wasn't gonna play with them this time since I didn't bring the cat toys."

I start picking up the plastic bowls.

"Let me help." Emi says as she comes over. "I can carry the bowls while you carry the plastic box of cat food."

"I can carry both the bowls and the box. You've got food to carry; why did you buy so much?"

"Aside from buying some food for Mana, I bought some for you too."

"Why?"

"Because I knew that you probably didn't eat yet. And well, it's payment for the collar."

"You didn't have to, you know?"

"I know but I ordered extra meat anyway."

"Are we eating at your place?" I press the button of the elevator in the lobby.

"We ate in my place last time so it's your place's turn."

"You told Rukawa that you're gonna be eating at my place?"

"Yup, I told her after I gave her share of the food. She said it was okay as long as I get back to my place before midnight."

"She's still mad about last time, huh?"

"She's not really mad. She just doesn't like it when I stay out when it's that late."

"We shouldn't have played that game; we got hooked up on it 'til 3:00am."

"Yeah. Never again on a week day."

As we enter my apartment, I place the plastic box at a corner near the entrance and put away the plastic bowls to clean later. Emi on the other hand prepared the food on the table. She's been comin' to my place several times so she has remembered where the kitchenware and stuff are placed. I've been to her place several times to so I kind of memorize where her stuff are at.

"Time to eat! I got us beef steak because the shop owner gave me a discount for buying in bulk."

"Looks good!"

"Here's the collar, by the way."

"Whoa! It looks even cuter up close! Thanks a lot, Ranmaru! It'll look great on Nao."

"You're welcome. Thanks for the food."

We both become quiet for a while as we concentrate on eating the food on front of us but I couldn't hold onto my words because I really wanted to say them to her.

"Emi, I'm sorry about before."

"Huh?"

"You know…that time when I got mad and said mean things to you. I've wanted to apologize again for it for some time now. I'm really sorry. I was a real idiot…"

"It's nothin'! You've apologized before already and plenty; that was enough for me. Besides, I know you didn't really mean them; you were just not in a good state at that time so it's nothin' for me. It's alright, forget about it."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's fine. We're cool."

"Okay but I'm really sorry."

"I said it's okay! Stop worrying about it already! Something like that isn't enough to shake me off. I'm a firm friend, you know! Firm and stubborn! I won't let go of you because of something like that; I won't let go of you that easily."

We both smile and continue to eat.

"I'm gonna miss hanging out here in your place." She suddenly says.

"Why? Are you gonna be busy for a while?"

"It's not that I'll be too busy. It's just that…I decided to agree with Mana about moving out of the apartment building because of what happened before."

"…So you'll be moving out soon?"

She nods.

"When will you guys be out of the building?"

"Mana will be moving our things gradually and secretly. My estimate is around a week or so since we don't really have a lot of stuff to move."

"I see. It's gonna get quiet around here."

"True. I won't be able to come up here and bother you from time to time. We'll only get to hang out during work and if we have time after work."

"Where will ya be stayin'?"

"Some place nearer the usual studios; it's a little hard to find the place 'cause it's kind of hidden. The place is bigger than my current apartment so it will be enough for me, Mana, and Nao. The rent isn't expensive so I think it's a good choice. Mana was the one that found the place."

"It's kind of far from here so you really won't be able to come over often."

"Yeah." She smiles but her smile seems a little sad. I think it's the same case for me; I think my smile is a little crooked.

"I'll miss you and Nao."

She suddenly lifts her head at my comment.

"Silly monkey, Nao and I aren't saying goodbye forever. We're just moving to a new place." She chuckles. "You're welcome to come over if ever you've got free time! My new work room is bigger in the new apartment! It can fit us both unlike the workroom that I've got now that can't really fit two people or more properly."

"Sure." I give her a slice of my meat. "I'll come over when I can."

"I'm counting on that, playmate!" She happily eats the slice I gave her.

*meowww*

She looks behind her and sees Nao coming in from one of the open windows.

"Huh? How did you get up here?"

"He usually follows me in when he catches me comin' back or he'd climb that window and invite himself in. I've been keeping that window slightly open for him."

"Sneaky as ever, aren't you?" Nao sits on her lap. "I bet Mana sent you here."

*meow*

"What's with the ribbon on him?"

"That was from his job this morning."

"Job?"

"We got an offer from Degree Cat Food to be the endorsers for their new commercial. They took Nao as the cat model in the commercial! Best part was that we got paid in cat food; one year supply of cat food!"

"Whoa, that's pretty good."

She puts down her food for a moment. "Hold on Nao, don't move." She takes out the collar I bought and puts it on Nao after removing the ribbon that he was already wearing. "Look, Ranmaru got you a really cool collar! Do you like it? Is it comfortable?"

*meooooow*

"Lookin' good, Nao." I tell him. It looks good; it's a good thing that the size is just right 'cause I thought it might be a little big on him.

"I think he likes it 'cause I can hear him purring. Such a cute little guy." She hugs him with a genuine smile.

"Ranmaru, if you need cat food for the alley cats, just tell me okay? I'll give you some of the cat food from Degree."

"Eh?"

"It's one year supply; Nao won't be able to eat all that before the expiry date so I might as well share them to the needy. It'll help you out too since you won't have to spend money for some time until we run out."

"That's going to be a big help. Thanks a lot, Emi."

"No problem—Nao! Stop eating my food! That's mine!"

*meeeooowwww*

"How could you attack my food while I wasn't looking?! You traitorrrr!"

*meow*

Nao runs to me and settles on my lap.

Emi points at Nao while saying, "Come back here, you coward! Stop using Ranmaru as a shield!"

*meow*

"Nao really is a clever cat." I pat his head. "Here, you can take half of what's left of my food."

"But that's yours. Don't you eat a lot? And it's your favorite food—meat."

"It's okay. I'll share. You got owned by a cat; I feel sorry for an idiot like you."

"Hmph. I'll let you get away with that this time since you're giving me food. Sly monkey."

I pull away my bowl after she called me a monkey. She sulks as she tries to take back the bowl. It's amusing how she's not reaching the bowl by an inch.

"Hahaha."

"Oh. That's the first time I heard you laugh so naturally, Ranmaru."

"You don't say? Well I don't really laugh or smile as often as everyone else."

"Really? But I've seen and heard you chuckle a lot of times and you actually kind of smile often if you'd consider your smirks and small smiles. A chuckle is still a laugh. The laugh you had just now was just different; it really just came out naturally. Even your smile was so natural that it hit me that it looked different."

"Huh. Was it weird?"

"Hmm. No. It wasn't weird at all. It was actually pretty charming to be honest. It took me aback for a moment." She smiles.

*meow*

"…Don't say that."

"Why? It's the truth—Oh my gosh are you actually blushing?"

"W-What?! No! I'm not!"

"No, no, no, no, no, you are definitely blushing! Look! Even your ears are a little reddish! You're blushing!"

I cover my face a little, feeling embarrassed. "Shut up!"

"Don't tell me you don't take compliments well? Wait! Nooo! Don't cover your face! I want to take a picture!"

"What?! Why?! What for?! No! That's stupid!"

"It's a rare sight! It probably happens almost never! I want a souvenir and proof that you can actually blush and get embarrassed!"

*meowww*

"Put your phone away, idiot! Don't—"

"Come onnnnn! Fine! If I can't take a picture, then stop covering your face! I'll imprint it in my memory!"

"Hell no. Shoo. Go away." I look away from her, still covering half of my face.

"Nooo! I want to see properly!"

"That's it; I'm taking the food back."

"Wha! No! Don't take back the food you gave me! I'll behave! I'll stop! Huhuhu! Not the food!"

Nao jumps out of my lap as I stand up. "You want something to drink? I'm gonna go to the convenience store for a sec."

"I'm fine with just water; you don't have to get me anything."

"You sure? Do you want anything else to eat since Nao ate your food?"

She shakes her head. "I'll be fine with what you gave me. I'll be full in no tim—"

 _GRRRRRRRRRRRRGHGHRHRRRRRRAARRGGHHH_

"…"

"…"

"Your stomach is protesting right there." I say to her, breaking the awkward silence. "You have a pet or monster inside that stomach of yours? That was pretty loud."

"Hush. You'll hurt my stomach's feelings."

*meow*

"I'll get whatever is left at the convenience store even if there is only rice balls left."

"I can go with you."

*meow*

"You stay here. It's already late; I ain't letting you walk outside at this hour. Can you unlock the door for me when I get back? I won't bring my keys since you're both here."

"Okay. I'm holding the fort then." She says as she continues to eat.

*meow*

"Don't open the door unless it's me or Mana."

"Of course I know that! I'm not a kid!"

*meow*

"I mean it. Don't. Open. The. Door. For. Strangers."

"Urghhhhh. Yes, big brother." She says sarcastically.

*meow*

* * *

"Geez, that was…embarrassing."

I unconsciously cover the half of my face again as I feel a weird tingling sensation inside of me.

"Sigh." I squat down with my apartment's front door behind me. "That was not cool. What was I embarrassed for? Tch."

Tonight's pretty quiet as usual but somehow it's like there's a noise somewhere in my head. Maybe I'm going crazy from overworking…because somehow it feels nice.

"Irrashaimase!" The convenience store clerk shouts enthusiastically.

What a lively employee this guy is.

Alright, what do I get? I'll get this green tea for Emi, the cold black coffee for me, and Nao will probably like some milk. I'll take some snacks since I'm running out of food in my cabinet. Sigh. Hm? There's a new flavor of ice cream; it's the brand that Emi likes. I could buy the usual two cups so that we can eat it when she comes over next—

My hand stops midway from getting the ice cream.

She'll be out of the apartment sometime next week. There's no point in buying these now since she's not even sure when she could drop by. If I buy these now, they'll just be in the fridge for who knows how long.

I retract my hand and stare at the ice cream for a moment.

There's no point in buying them. There's no point.

I turn my back on the ice cream but I didn't have the will to walk away. A brief moment passes and I look back at the ice cream. I take two cups with me before checking out at the counter.

She said that she'll drop by when she can—I'll believe in those words; I'll believe in her words.

"Thank you for coming!" the cashier says.

I look at the plastic bag in my hand and its contents. I end up smiling a little for no good reason.

Since when did I start believing in people again?

* * *

*knock knock knock*

"Emi, it's me. Can you open the door?"

A minute passes by and she still hasn't unlocked the door. This isn't funny.

*knock knock knock knock*

"Emi? You there?" This better not be a joke; it's not funny at all!

*knock knock knock knock knock*

"Emi?! Hey kid, are you alright in there?!" Answer the door already! This is makin' me uneasy! It's too quiet!

*meowwwww*

I look at my left side and see Nao. He must have passed thru the open window. In his mouth was the house key; he gives it to me and I immediately open the door. I drop the stuff I bought inside by the entrance of my apartment and rush into the living room area.

There, at the table where I was just eating with her a while ago, is Emi sleeping soundly.

"You've got to be kiddin' me!" I fall onto my couch in relief but I quickly stand up again and walk over to her to check if she's really okay.

She's alive and sleeping like a baby. Gods, my blood pressure shot up and dropped down; this ain't good for anyone damn it.

"Wake up. You just ate, didn't you? It's not good to sleep right after eating; you're gonna turn into a cow."

I shake her up but she won't wake up. She's sleeping too comfortably. I don't really want to wake her up but she needs to go back to her place or else our heads are gonna be served on a platter by Rukawa.

*meow*

"Thanks for givin' me the keys, Nao. Your owner really is, well, you know what I mean."

*meowww*

I take the cold green tea that I bought from the convenience store and put it against Emi's cheek.

"Hnghnnn…"

I finally got a reaction from her.

"Wake up, Emi. If you're gonna sleep, go back to your apartment. Don't sleep here." I press the cold tea against her cheek a little harder.

"Hmn…Hnmgh? Ranmaru…? You're back already? The cat fairy came back?"

"Yeah. Since you were sleepin', Nao took the keys and gave them to me out front."

She yawns. "Sorry, I felt sleepy after eating. At least your cat whisperer skills help you, cat fairy."

"Don't rub your eye; that's not good. Here, I got you this from the convenience store."

"Thanks." She says sleepily as she hugs the bottle.

"Why don't you go on and head back to your place so that you can sleep? You need to go back soon anyway. I'll handle the cleaning up; you don't need to help me. Go on."

"Yeah, I think I should head back. Thanks for having me over again. I'll help clean up next time."

*meow*

"C'mon, I'll walk ya to your apartment; it's late."

She yawns. "I'm coming. Let's go, Nao."

*meow meow*

"Wait for me, Ranmaru. You always walk too fast."

"You're just slow."

"No, I'm just sleepy. There's a difference."

Her place isn't too far so we reached her door in less than five minutes.

"Make sure you tuck yourself properly in your futon. Goodnight."

"Goodnight to you too, Ranmaru. Don't sleep on your sofa; use your bed."

"Yeah, yeah I kn—!"

*meow*

She suddenly hugs me. "…Goodnight."

"Uhm, Emi?"

I was about to politely push her away until she tightened her hug for a brief moment without a word. I couldn't bring myself to remove her.

*meow meow meow*

She releases me and enters her apartment quietly. Before she closed her door, she smiled and waved at me for a few seconds.

All I did was watch her close the door. When the space grew smaller and smaller between the door and the door frame, I felt a little sad. I started to wonder if the door would open again if I stood out here a little longer. Of course it won't, right? Why would it? The door isn't going to open; that's what I knew and what I told myself but a part of me, a big part of me, wanted to believe otherwise.

* * *

"Mana, I'm back. Nao is back too."

"Welcome back."

"You're drinking coffee again? How on earth do you still get to sleep when you drink like five to seven mugs of coffee a day?"

Mana sips her coffee nonchalantly. "I don't know. Even I wonder why the caffeine doesn't kick in sometimes especially when I'm pulling all nighters."

She puts her coffee down on the kitchen counter and approaches me.

"Koemi, are you okay?"

"Hm? I am."

*meooow*

"Are you sure? You're a little red on the face. I doubt you drank alcohol so I thought you might be sick or maybe you hit your face on your way back."

"Hahaha, the last thing you said was funny. I'm feeling okay so you must be imagining things."

"If you insist. I'm going back to work now; I'm checking some documents for the agency. You go on ahead and sleep; it's getting late."

"Good night, Mana."

"Good night."

I sit down on the floor to undo my shoes but I stop for a moment to look at my front door. A funny thought entered my head—is he still standing outside or did he head back to his place already? A little sadness enters my heart.

*meowww*

"I'm okay. You can go on ahead inside. I'll just…sit for a while."

Nao rubs himself against my hand before heading into the living room, leaving me alone by the entrance.

"It's hard when you'll miss someone."

I lean on the wall beside me and close my eyes. In my arms, I hugged one simple and common item that you can find in every convenience store—a lukewarm bottle of green tea.


	21. Chapter 20: Charlatan

"Papa...Mama...Emi-neesan...It hurts..."

A nurse who was watching over her holds her hand. "Akane-chan, she hasn't arrived yet but we called her already and she said that she'll come to see you. We also called your parents and they said that they'll come too. You need to be strong and wait patiently, okay? We'll do everything that we can to help you; have faith and be strong for us too."

Akane weakly nods at the nurse. Her small hand, pale and weak, holds the nurse's hand with whatever strength she could put on her small grip. The sound of nurses and doctors going in and outside her room echoes softly in the air. Her eyes stare into the distance as she endures the pain coursing thru her body.

Little Akane couldn't tell what the doctors and nurses were doing nor could she tell how many minutes have passed. She was in so much pain that her senses had numbed.

"It hurts…Emi-neesan…"

* * *

"Eika, is there something wrong?" Mana asks as she sees me put my phone down.

"M-M-Ma…na…" My hands are shaking and my chest is starting to hurt. "Mana…I…"

She takes my hand and pulls me away from the eyes of everyone else in the studio. "Emi, what's wrong?! You're shaking and you're starting to look terrible. What happened?! What was the call that you answered a while ago about?!"

I tightly grab hold of her arms. "It's Akane; she's one of the children from Kurushima Hospital. She's…she's unstable at the moment. I have to go to her!" My breathing becomes heavy in worry.

"Get in the car; I'll bring you to her. I'll tell the producer that you fell ill all of a sudden." She hands me her car keys. "Go. I'll follow."

I nod and immediately make my way to the car.

A-Akane-chan is unstable. How could this happen?! She was healthy the last time I visited her; all of them were healthy! H-How could she be in critical condition?!

 _I'm feeling better, Koemi. The doctors said that if I continue like this then I'll be able to get discharged and we can hang out somewhere out there! I'm so tired of this hospital so I'm glad that I can leave this place soon. I can't wait! I'll do my best to get better!_

A scene from years ago…is repeating all over again—it's happening again.

"Emi, make sure that you're wearing your seatbelt. We'll be at Kurushima hospital in ten minutes; I promise you that."

"Okay…"

My weak reply concerns her but she doesn't pry.

Just like she promised, we reached the hospital in ten minutes due to her speedy driving. I dashed out of the car and went straight for Akane's room—Room 412. I take a minute to calm my nerves; I must not panic on front of her because that would make her worry.

Once I masked away my worry, I calmly open the door. The view that greets me is of a weak child in a bed with a nurse by her side—it's just like back then with Yasuko.

"Hello Akane-chan, I've arrived." I gently say to her as I sit beside the bed.

"Emi-neesan, you came. I'm happy to see you." She says with a sweet weak voice.

"What are you feeling right now?"

"I feel…pain." She smiles wryly.

"Nakahara-san, the doctors gave her medicines to help her stabilize a little. We cannot give her pain killers so she has to endure the effects of the medicine on her body." The nurse says.

"I see. Akane-chan, stay strong. I know you can do this! You are a strong little girl! I believe in you so believe in yourself too! If you were able to feel better before, you can do the same again. If you need me, call for me and I'll come to your side right away."

"Thank you, Emi-neesan. You're the best."

I pat her head with a smile but deep inside I feel a sharp pain in my heart as I see her suffering with her cancer.

"Akane-chan, do you want to hear a song?"

"Yes, I love listening to you singing Emi-neesan."

"Okay. I learned a song from a friend of mine at work; I think you'll like it."

I'm known for singing rock songs but not many know that I sing ballads pretty well. There are only two people who know that I sing ballads pretty well—Yasuko and Akane. Akane often tells me that she watches the shows that I appear in and that she watches my music videos on tv too so she's used to hearing me sing rock. When she asked me to sing for her in person, I thought that she'd enjoy something else besides rock and that was when she discovered that I can sing ballads well.

"Emi-neesan, your voice is wonderful as always. It always makes me lighter inside."

"If you want me to keep singing for you, I will. I'll even requests from you! I'll sing even if all you ask are nursery rhymes!"

She chuckles a little. "Please, sing for me. I want to hear more."

"Okay. I'll sing until you get tired of me."

"That can never happen, Emi-neesan. I love you too much to get tired of you."

"Awww! I love you lots and lots too, Akane-chan!"

I ask the nurse to leave the room until I get out. She nods and quietly leaves me with Akane-chan.

"What will you sing for me, Emi-neesan?"

"I've got a lot of songs in my head; I'll never run out for you."

I kept my word. I stayed in her room and sang for hours and hours until she fell asleep to the ballads that I sang to her.

"Sweet dreams, Akane. Get well soon." I kiss her forehead before leaving her room.

The nurse that was waiting outside the room approaches me. "Thank you for coming, Nakahara-san." She bows deeply.

"There's no need to thank me. I should be thanking all of you here for doing your best to keep her alive. Thank you very much for your hard work."

"Akane-chan's parents are on the way here now. They couldn't get permission to leave work all of a sudden that's why they're not here yet."

"I see. Her parents are both working hard to sustain the medical bills for their one and only child. I should know because I give financial assistance to all of the kids admitted here because of cancer."

"You are a very kind person, Nakahara-san. I commend you for your actions."

"Thank you but I do not need praise. I am merely helping those who are in need. I know how hard it is to not have enough money for medical bills and the sorrow of losing someone you treasure; I don't want it to happen to such young children who have a future to live for. I can't…I can't leave them alone."

"Nakahara-san." The nurse holds my hands tightly for a moment.

"Are the other children alright?"

She nods. "The other children are well and their treatments have been working for them. It was only Akane who got worse all of a sudden."

"Do the other children know about Akane's condition?"

"Yes, they all wanted to see her but we could not let them do so. They are all currently in their respective rooms."

"I see. I still have work tomorrow so I have to leave now. Please continue watching over her for me and send my regards to her parents when they arrive."

"I will."

"Thank you."

"Emi!"

I look towards the voice and see Ranmaru running.

"How's Akane?!"

"She's sleeping now. I came here earlier and she was already stabilized so we don't have to worry too much now."

"Thank god. My phone was on silent because of work; I got surprised when I read your message."

"I got surprised too when I got a call from the hospital. Mana told the producer that I felt sick all of a sudden so that I could come…over…right aw—"

"Nakahara-san!" The nurse supports me as I lose my balance. "Are you okay?!"

"I'm okay. My head hurts a little but I'm pretty sure I'm okay."

"Nakahara-san, your lips are dry and you seem to be sluggish. Perhaps you are exhausted?" the nurse says.

"Have you been working more than usual?" Ranmaru asks right after.

"I'm fine. I'm not the one we should be worrying about. I probably just got tired from worrying about Akane and from singing for her nonstop."

Ranmaru takes my hand. "You should go home. I saw Rukawa in the lobby; I'll bring you to her."

I take my hand back from him. "I'm fine. I can walk on my own."

I start to walk forward. One hospital room's door opens suddenly and hits me right in the face; I reacted too slowly so I didn't dodge it.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! That hurts…a lot."

"Now that was definitely painful. Let me take a look at ya."

Ranmaru gently takes my face and stares at it.

"Good news is that you don't have a single bruise or scratch and there's no swelling either; you're okay."

"That's good. That's definitely good."

"You." He takes my hand and takes me with him. "Take care of yourself before you take care of others."

"You're not. If you're really okay then you would have been able to dodge that door."

"I'm just distracted!"

He takes out his phone and opens an article. "Then read this."

Fudge. I can't read this; not a single word. My vision is too shaky and blurry that I can't make out the characters.

"See? You can't even read the article about your previous single release."

"I-I can! It just says that it was good and that their favorite track was the third one." I've read reviews about my last single so I'm pretty sure I can just pretend I read this.

"I knew it; you couldn't read it. I lied. That article isn't about your previous single release; it's about Kobe beef."

"No fair! You tricked me!"

We reach the lobby and I can see someone who looks like Mana sitting on one of the waiting benches. I think that's really Mana.

"Rukawa, you should take her home. She's tired to the point she let a door hit her right in the face."

"You didn't have to mention that!" I let go of his hand go over to Mana. "Akane is okay now and is sleeping. I kept her company for some time."

"Emi."

"Yes, Mana?"

"Can you take my pen from my hand?"

"What for?"

"Just do it."

I look at the pen in Mana's hand and reach out for it. To my surprise, when I tried to grab it, I didn't get it.

"It's seems that Kurosaki is right about your vision. You reached out beside the pen; you're having double vision aren't you?"

I don't answer her question and instead gulp for a moment.

"We're going straight home. Once we get home, rest and nothing else. Don't you even dare practice. Just rest. I'll cancel your work for tomorrow so that you can properly have some rest."

"But—"

"Don't argue with me. You will rest. I'll get the car and bring it up front. Kurosaki, watch over her while I get the car; don't let her walk around or else she might bump into things or people."

"Roger that, Rukawa."

Mana leaves and makes me sit on the spot she was sitting at.

"Sigh. You two are always forcing me to rest."

"Because you don't when it's needed. I work more than you do but I always find some time to rest."

"Hmph."

"You know, I think you would have become a doctor or a nurse if you didn't become an idol."

"What made you say that?"

"You've got the qualities to become one and you really care about sick people even though you neglect your own health."

"'Dr. Nakahara' has a good ring to it." She chuckles.

"You would have been an overworked doctor."

"If you didn't become an idol, I don't know what you would be."

"I'd probably be dead somewhere or alive but in deep debt; probably a yakuza slave or somethin' like that."

"True but I meant what occupation you would have if you weren't an idol."

"Probably a businessman like my father."

"You'd look like a yakuza boss in a suit. You'd just scare all of your investors or intimidate them to sign with you."

"You're such an annoying kid."

"I'll always be."

She stops talking all of a sudden. When I look at her, she seems like she's looking somewhere far away and she really does look tired. A lot is going thru her mind; I can tell.

"Ranmaru, I'm going to tell you something but promise me that you won't tell anyone else." Her voice cracked a little.

"I'm listening."

"Akane…she's dying. She's going to die."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on for a sec. I thought you said that she's stable now?!"

"For now she is but it won't last. One of the nurses told me about the truth of her condition when I arrived here in the hospital. Akane's cancer…her cancer has spread all of a sudden and based on the doctors' findings, she is going to die because it's everywhere. She'll die sooner that we all thought."

Her voice cracked again. Usually one would cry in this situation but she refused to cry; her eyes were tearful but she held it all in.

"Her cancer had turned for the worse. It's hard to believe that she was well and healthy just recently. Why does this have to happen to her? Why is it happening to such a good young child? She's going to die, Ranmaru. She's going to die…"

I don't know what to say. Everything she said is hard to swallow. I think I understand now why she feels exhausted; she's suffering because she's scared of Akane dying on her. It's probably the same fear she had when her best friend, Yasuko, was dying.

"The treatments that she's going to undergo isn't going to save her; it's just going to keep her alive a little longer until she can't handle it anymore. Akane…I don't want to…lose her too."

"Emi, calm down. You're crying."

I wipe the tears falling from her sorrowful eyes. The tears were warm to touch and no matter how much I wiped away, more came streaming down. Even when her sadness has overflowed, she cries without wailing or shouting; she just cries silently.

"Stop crying. Please. Your eyes will become swollen and your head will hurt." I continue to wipe her tears away. "Emi, please stop crying." Just a little more of this and I will really be pushed to beg her to stop.

Rukawa returns to the lobby and sees Emi crying right beside me.

"What's this?! Did something happen to her? Did she hurt herself? Did someone hurt her?"

Emi shakes her head and looks at Rukawa sadly.

"Emi…" Rukawa sits down beside her and hugs her warmly. "Hush now, we'll talk when we get back if you want to. Akane will be okay; have faith in her and in the doctors who are helping her with all their strength. Shhh, calm down now. It'll be okay."

Rukawa rubs her back gently as Emi continues to cry quietly in her arms. Minutes pass before they stand and board their car.

Even then, Emi didn't stop crying yet.

"Kurosaki, do you want to ride home with us?"

"You two go on ahead. I have work tonight. Be safe, you two."

Rukawa guides Emi as they walk; she looks so feeble that it hurts.

It really hurts to see someone who's usually the strong and happy looking person to be like that. It makes me want to comfort her until she stops; it worries me what could her pain do to her or make her do. Her sadness could eat her away and that scares me.

* * *

*knock knock knock*

The door opens and the first person that I see is Rukawa.

"Kurosaki? Good morning. What brings you here?"

Her hair is a mess and she looks like she hasn't slept yet.

"I was...I got worried about Emi so I thought of dropping by to see how's she doing before I head out. Has she stopped crying?"

Rukawa yawn and then fixes her glasses. "Thankfully she stopped crying this morning at 4:00am."

"4:00am?!"

"Yes, I've been awake since we got home yesterday because she wouldn't stop crying. Even Nao couldn't be at ease until Emi stopped crying."

"Can I come in?"

"Go ahead."

Rukawa seems exhausted. Was it that bad?

"Emi is currently sleeping in my room. She fell asleep right after she stopped crying. Nao is sleeping with her that's why it's so empty here in the living room."

She opens her room's door.

"I don't think she'll be waking up soon. I cancelled her jobs for the day with the claim that she's sick. I also told the agency that I"ll be working here from home so that I can keep an eye on her too."

"Did she tell you?"

"About Akane? Yes, Emi told me about it...and how she felt that history is repeating itself on her." She yawns again. "I'll be back. I'll just make some coffee. Would you like a cup too?"

"Sure."

"Okay."

Emi...her eyes are swollen like I thought and she seems pale.

I sit down beside her and pat her head gently. Nao is in her arms like a stuffed toy; he's keeping her company.

"Kid, don't cry like that again. Crying doesn't suit you; just stick to smiling as you usually do. I don't like it when I see you hurt. If you need help or anything, ask Rukawa or me; we'll be here for you. Sometimes it's good to share whatever you're feeling inside. You ain't alone and never will be."


	22. Chapter 21: Trust Me,I Don't Need a Hero

**Chapter 21: Trust Me, I Don't Need a Hero**

*meowww*

Nao licks my cheek and eventually wakes me up. I lift my hand and pat his head gently. His purr is faint but I can hear it clearly.

"Good afternoon, Emi. Do you feel better now?"

"I feel heavy."

"Here, it's a cup of warm tea. Be careful not to spill it on yourself."

"Thank you, Mana."

The tea is supposedly warm but I feel nothing. I smile wryly at my drink.

*meow*

"Mana, don't I have to go to—"

She suddenly stops me from getting out of bed. "Don't get out of bed, Emi. You don't have work today; I cancelled them all."

"Why would you do that?"

"It's because you are not in the condition to work. Look at you, your eyes are puffy and then you're pale, you feel heavy and sluggish, and you're starting to have the tendency to space out. I refuse to let you work in that state."

"Mana…" My eyes start to become blurry again as if I'm underwater.

"Don't cry! If you cry any further, your eyes will become more swollen! Hold them back! Please!"

I bury my face onto her chest and wrap my arms around her. "…I'll hold them back. I'm sorry."

Her hand rubs my back in such a gentle manner.

"Would you like to eat something? You didn't eat dinner last night so I'm assuming that you're hungry."

"I don't feel hungry but I know that I should eat."

"I'll bring you something to eat. I'll be back."

*meow*

"Nao, you were worried weren't you? I'll recover because I have to. I'll…be okay."

*meow*

"Yes, I know I'm falling apart again just like before. I thought that I could handle this for the second time but I was wrong; it's just as painful as before."

And just like in the past, I'll put my feelings aside and wear my usual smile. Yasuko used to say that a smile helps cope with everything. I sometimes I think that she wanted to say that a smile is the best mask to wear for anything that happens.

"I've brought your food, Em—"

"Whaaa! Food! I can finally eat! Thanks, Mana!"

She stares at me with a confused expression. "Emi, did you hit your head or something? You're acting quite strange."

"Are you callin' me crazy? How dare you..." I leer at Mana jokingly.

"I'm starting to believe that you might indeed be crazy."

"How could you believe such a lie? Huhu. Nao, Mana doesn't love me anymore."

*meow meow*

Mana sighs. "When did I ever tell you that I love you anyway? Here, since you seem to be well, eat on your own."

"Ouch! Nao, I got dumped without even having a relationship! Such a cruel fate, ne?"

*meow*

"If I knew that you were going to be okay, I wouldn't have cancelled your work for the day. You better work hard to earn the money you were supposed to earn today!"

"I will work hard to the bone!"

"But don't work yourself to death. There would be no point."

"This isn't something you cooked, am I right? I think this is from Tokyo Fried Chicken?"

"Yes, it's store bought food. Kurosaki came by this morning to check on you and then he came to visit again during his break; he brought that with him during his second visit."

"He came by?"

"You were sleeping and we didn't want to wake you—Achoo!"

"Did you catch a cold?"

"Perhaps but I think it's probably nothing. Last night was a bit cold so perhaps I'm just feeling a little cold."

"You should drink medicine just to be sure though."

"Maybe later. I don't want to leave you alone but I must transfer the remainder of our belongings to our new apartment. I'm almost done transferring everything so it would be a waste if I don't bring some of our things over to the new apartment. Will you be alright one your own for a while?"

"I can manage. I'll be good and just stay in bed or watch tv in the living room."

"We have food in the fridge so if ever you feel hungry just reheat them in the microwave."

"Yes ma'am!"

"Keep your cell phone close to you always in case of emergency. I'll return just in time for dinner so be good until then."

"Thanks for the hard work!"

"You're helping me clean the new apartment when we move in there."

"And I thought I was off the hook…"

Mana leaves with a couple of boxes. I think those have my music sheets and CDs. All that's' gonna be left would be the few appliances that we have like the microwave and Mana's coffee machine and my instruments in my workroom. If Mana's friend is gonna help us move those things, we'll be able to move in by tomorrow or the day after.

*meow*

"We're saying goodbye…to this place."

I pick up Nao and hug him tenderly.

*meoowww*

"Are you bored? I'm bored. We don't really have much that we can do here at home."

*meowww*

"I know, I know, Mana said to stay in bed and I will but let me just get my guitar from the workroom and then I'll come back."

*meow*

Upon opening the door of my workroom, I'm surprised by what I see—my work room is empty.

"Don't tell me Mana was able to move everything already? If that's the case…then are we moving by tomorrow?"

I walk inside my empty workroom and sit against one of the walls.

"Well, there's only one instrument that's always with you when you're bored."

Your voice will always be with you wherever you go; it's the most portable instrument that people have.

I start to sing in the empty room whatever song came to mind. Nao hears me and enters the room; he sits between my legs right away.

"If I was your lover moshimo kanaeba eien ni dakishimetetai soshite tsutaeri shinjirutte koto yatto kidzuketa."

Damn that song is catchy; it's been stuck in my head since Ranmaru's concert; I even have that song set as my ringtone. When will it stop playing in my head? Huhu.

I continue to sit in the workroom doing nothing put petting Nao and singing; it's peaceful. Well, it was until someone knocked at the door.

*knock knock knock*

I cover Nao's mouth to prevent him from meowing.

"That's definitely not Mana; she would have used her keys instead of knocking."

Slowly, I stand up with my cell phone at hand. Since Mana moved most of our things already, there's nothing I could use as a weapon for self defense.

*knock knock knock knock*

I cautiously peek thru the eye hole and see an unfamiliar man.

*knock knock knock knock knock*

He's hitting the door harder. If I don't respond to him soon, I think he might actually break the door. What I'm worried about is his right hand; he keeps it behind his back so he might have a weapon or something.

I take a deep breath and stand by the door. "Who is it?"

"You finally answered! I've been waiting here for a while now, little demon. Heh."

"So they finally sent a slave to come over."

"I ain't a slave you little wench! I'm a messenger!"

"Whatever! What do you want?!"

"You haven't been keepin' your end of the deal, little demon! The boss has been waitin' for your generous donation ever since you got out of our joint! We wanna know when are ya gonna give anythin'."

"Or else?"

"Or else me and my friends are gonna come over one night and have some fun in your place. You and your manager are gonna be fun to play with, yeah? Hahahahaha. Your little furry friend also has a nice coat of fur; he'd make a perfect wallet for me."

"Over my dead body, scumbag! I ain't givin' you people anythin'!"

"So that's your answer, huh? Then it's a date then! I hope you'll enjoy the company of my friends, kid! They like to play rough! We'll see ya soon! Hahahahaha!"

"Go to hell!"

Mana was freakin' right about us moving but if those guys are coming over to this place, then what's gonna happen to my neighbours? Are they gonna get affected by this? Will they get hurt or harassed? I can't let that happen. Shit!

"They might go after Ranmaru too if they find out that he lives here."

*meow*

I quickly call Mana.

"Hello Mana?! Where are you right now?!"

"Emi, why did you call me? I'm still here in our new apartment fixing the things I brought over. Do you need something? Did you become sick?"

"Mana, we have to move today!"

"What's with that all of a sudden?"

"They're going to attack our place—the yakuza are going to come!"

"What?!"

"Remember when I told you that I wasn't payin' them anything? It finally struck their nerve; they sent a messenger over just now. The guy was asking me if I was gonna pay and I said no. They're gonna come for us!"

"I will work faster on my end. Emi, you gather the remaining items in there and place them in the empty boxes in my room. We'll move today immediately!"

"But Mana, I'm worried about our neighbours here in the apartment. What if they get hurt or harassed when those goons come?!"

"I have a plan for that so don't worry. I took into account the possibility of those yakuza comin' to the apartment building so I have coordinated with the police; I didn't tell you about it so that you can't do anything to interfere with it."

"You promise that the people here won't get hurt?"

"Yes, I promise. All I have to do is inform the police right now about that messenger and the possible attack."

"I'm going to trust you, Mana."

"Thank you—"

"But I have one condition."

Mana becomes furious over the phone as I tell her what I want. In the end, she accepts my request.

"Emi, as long as you promise that you will be fine then I will cooperate."

"I promise; trust me the same way that I trust you."

Once our phone call ends, I immediately start packing whatever is left. Nao helps me out by dragging his bowl and toys over to me and the small things that he could carry with his mouth. Mana arrives a few hours later and I help her load the boxes into the car thru the back of the apartment building. When there were a few boxes left to load, Mana leaves them in my care and proceeds to talk to the security team of the apartment building.

"Emi, I'm done talking to the security staff. Let's go."

"You haven't told me what's going to happen. I need to know."

We get inside her car and she tells me what to expect.

"The police are now stationed near the apartment building disguised as civilians; they're all staying in the neighbouring apartments and buildings so that they can attack from all directions. The security staff of the apartment building has been oriented to coordinate with the police and were tasked to inform the other tenants of the building that there is a planned attack so when they hear the signal, they are to lock their doors and barricade themselves as well as to not go outside. I have told them about you so you don't have to worry about getting arrested or captured; they have also told the other tenants about your purpose."

"What's the signal?"

"They will play a tune that resembles what you hear in train stations thru the loud speakers in the hallways of the apartment building."

"There are loud speakers in the hallways? I never noticed them."

"They have been installed long ago in case of emergencies or natural disasters. When do you think they'll attack?"

"I am quite definite that they'll attack tomorrow night. Their group doesn't waste time in attacking their enemy; they don't give their targets any time to prepare."

"If the police are successful in capturing the yakuza that are going to the apartment building then that will anger their group for sure but I think it will put them in the spotlight and that will make the police more aware of them. This will limit the moves that the yakuza could play."

"That's true. What about the media?"

"I've got some connections that are willing to tweak the story a little so that we won't be mentioned and to make sense of things."

"You're awesome and scary, Mana."

*meow*

"Just a little bit longer and we'll be in our new home, Nao. Be patient and don't scratch the car seats." Mana says. "What time will I drop you off tomorrow at the old apartment?"

"Early morning; the yakuza might have people keeping an eye at the place so going there in the afternoon won't be a good idea."

"Okay."

I suddenly feel a shock of pain from the side of my head. "Urgh!"

"Are you okay, Emi?"

"I'm fine. My head just hurt a little since I still feel a little tired."

"You can go on and sleep when we reach our new apartment."

"I'll go straight to bed when we get there and do the new home tour when I wake up or after tomorrow hehe."

*meow*

Truth be told, I went straight to bed right after arriving at the new place. I should be in good shape tomorrow or else I might get injured. For sure I'm going to bring 'old reliable' tomorrow. The little demon is going to make a short comeback! Just this once. It's for a good cause!

* * *

The sun shines the next day. I change into a navy blue shirt and a pair of pants of the same color; this color is good in the dark if you don't want to be noticed right away. Though I'm in good condition, Mana has gotten sick. She still woke up early and in her hand were her car keys.

"Mana, you don't look so good. I think I'll just commute going to the old apartment."

She coughs a little. "I won't let you; the yakuza might ambush you when they see you. I'd rather drive you to the street behind the old apartment than let you go out in public during this situation."

"Will you be alright? You really ain't looking good, Mana." I pick up a thin elongated bag.

"I'll be fine. I'm an iron maiden in my own accord. Take care today, okay?"

She ends up driving alright but her coughs keep me worrying about her. I get off at the street behind the old apartment and she drives back to our new place; I'll be going home by myself because her car will get attention if she picks me up after this.

I enter thru the backdoor of the apartment and the usual security guard that's always there greets me; I nod back at him.

"Nakahara-san, good luck and I hope that the yakuza won't be able to harm the other residents."

"Don't worry 'cause I ain't gonna let them until they're all rounded up by the cops. You watch your back; I wouldn't want you to get hurt either."

"Thank you ma'am, I pray for everyone's safety."

He gives me the key to one empty unit that's on the same floor as my old apartment; that's where I'll be hiding for the meantime. As the elevator goes up to my floor, my head starts to hurt.

"Urgh! I still have a headache? What the hell?! I'll just have to suck it up for now; I have to stay focused for now."

The elevator opens and I look out first before getting off; no one's around. All of the residents were told to either stay inside their apartments and barricade themselves or to go out and stay somewhere for the rest of the day. I quickly get inside the empty apartment room and made myself comfy. Now all I have to do is to wait for them to attack.

I wonder if Ranmaru is in his apartment or did he stay out? I hope he stayed out because that would make him safe. I know there are cops around and I'm here but I have a gut feeling that the yakuza is gonna send a big group to attack this place. They know that I bite and I bite really hard; there's no way that they're just gonna send a few thugs over here. On the bright side, if they're sending a huge group over here then it's gonna lessen the group's overall number since the cops are gonna catch a lot of them for sure. It's gonna make 'em vulnerable!

Hours pass and the sun has been replaced by the moon and stars. I tie my hair up into a bun and put on a bright yellow cap; this is to let the cops know that it's me.

"It's been a long time since I held you and used ya, old reliable."

I open the thin elongated bag that I brought with me and take out an old but memorable item.

"You helped me in the past and this time, you'll help me again. Instead of destroying people, we're gonna protect them."

A long and sturdy wooden sword—this was once Auntie's until she handed it down to me after I became a division leader in her group.

The night was getting darker and the silence slowly became like noise in my ears. My instincts kick in after a few more hours pass. The signal started playing in every floor of the apartment; the cop's lookout must have spotted the yakuza group on their way.

"That's my cue. Good luck to me."

I lean on a wall close to one of the frontal windows. I won't attack unless a civilian is attack so I have to make sure that I can see them moving around. I just hope the residents were able to barricade themselves well 'cause if more than one unit is gonna get attacked at the same time, I might not be able to protect them well. Well, there are cops that will be helpin' around but I can't depend on them much. Urgh, I hope the cops ain't a bunch of weaklings; they better have sent strong men over 'cause this yakuza group ain't kidding about their man power.

The elevator opens and as I expected, it was the yakuza. A few moments after, their men came flooding in from the stairways; they're everywhere. With this amount of members on this floor alone, how many more do they have on the other floors and outside the building? It's kind of flattering that they sent this amount of idiots to take me down 'cause it means their boss admits that I ain't a weak little thing. It's such a shame that the yakuza boss isn't around; he just sent over a specialized group for little me.

The leader of the group, along with his right hand man, approaches my old apartment's door and knocks on it furiously. "Oi! Are ya in there, you little devil?! You decided not to donate so we're here to collect you and your dough by force! I also heard from my brother that you and your manager are gonna be fun to play with! I hope ya don't mind having fun with a big party! They can be rough but I bet they're gonna give ya a good time hehehe!"

All of the other men start to laugh sinisterly with him; it's disgusting.

He knocks again furiously on the door. "Are ya gonna come out or what?! Are ya playin' hard to get?! I like a girl that ain't easy hehehe!

I hold tightly onto my wooden sword, suppressing my urge to go out and hit that son of a bastard.

"I'm gonna count to five right now, little missy. If ya ain't opening this door, I'll be taking it down! 1…2…3…"

This is it! The moment that they break that door down and find it empty is gonna make them go into frenzy mode!

"4…"

This is going to be a long night.

"5! Break it down boys!"

The door of my old apartment goes into pieces as three men start hitting it with all their might with their big mallets. Damn, they're strong! Their boss immediately goes in with his sickle.

"What the hell is the meaning of this?!" he furiously shouts. "The apartment is empty! That wench ain't here! ARGHHHH!"

Time to go.

"BOYS, LOOKS LIKE SHE RAN ON US. LET'S PAY HER BACK FOR LEAVIN' US IN THE AIR. TURN THIS PLACE UPSIDEDOWN!"

His men shout loudly and start hitting the first thing they see around the apartment building. They then start to attack the other units' doors.

One of them is able to forcefully open a unit's door but thankfully it was empty.

"Boss! Somethin' ain't right! This unit has no one inside but there's furniture and stuff in here!"

Another door goes down at another unit. "It's the same here boss!"

"Something's fishy here. Boys, take down every door that you can!"

Several doors get attacked and the empty units' doors broke down immediately but the ones whose doors didn't break—had people in them.

"Boss! I think there's someone in this one!"

"Take it down! Boys, scratch up whoever you can! Let's make the little demon come out! I have a gut feelin' she's got something to do with this! I'm gonna break that wench's face when I see her!"

One of his men was able to take down one unit's door—that was the door of the old lady from downstairs.

"Bingo! We've got a live one here! Hehehe!"

"S-Stay back, you brutes! I refuse to let my life die in your dirty hands! I'm going to die old peacefully! Go away! Help! Someone help me! Don't come any closer!"

The man raises his bat and aims for the old woman's head.

"Please don't!" The old woman raises her arms to cover herself.

"Say hello to Satan for me, granny! Hahaha!"

"Why don't ya go say hello to him on your own?!" I swing my wooden sword down on his head and swipe off his bat.

"ARGHHHHH!" The man turns around and tries to punch me.

"Too slow, ya big thug!" I evade his punch and as a return gift I give him a roundhouse kick to the face.

He falls down to the ground and stops moving.

"Is he dead?" the old woman asks.

"Nope, he's just out cold. More of them are gonna be comin' in so I advise you to go find a place to hide."

"I-Is the bathroom okay?! Will it be okay to hide there?!"

"Anywhere is fine. I'll make sure they won't even get past the door."

"Don't die, Koemi. You've been good to me ever since you moved into this apartment building. I don't want to see you die before I do."

"Don't worry granny, I'm gonna be livin' for a long time!"

"You better not be lying to me, youngster!" The old woman immediately hides inside her bathroom and locks the door. I take out a small radio from my pocket and contact the police hidden in the neighbourhood.

"They broke into one of the occupied units and attacked the occupant. Green light."

"Roger that, Nakahara-san. We'll begin sending our men now!"

"Well, ya better hurry up because I took down one of them and his scream of pain is gonna attract the other thugs' attention."

I tuck away the radio back into my pocket and drag the unconscious thug to the door entrance. I thrown him out into the hallway and it gets the attention of the other thugs.

"Boss! It's her!"

"Tch! You wench! Take her boys!"

"Huh, as if any of you can! Come and get me!" I take a defensive position and stand firmly.

One after the other, they rush at me but they fail to lay even a finger on me; every single one of them falls down with one to two hits with my wooden sword. This is suspicious; these guys are weaker than I expected. The boss isn't comin' to me either; something isn't right. This feels too easy.

While keeping my ground, the police force arrives and raids the building. "Freeze! We're the police! Everyone drop your weapons and put your hands behind your head! Now!"

I take off my yellow cap since the police are rounding them up.

"So that was your scheme, huh?" The boss says. "It's time to bring out the big ones. Hehehehe!"

As the cops were rounding up the thugs who were already in the building, a fresh new group of yakuza arrive.

"What the hell?!" I immediately start taking down the thugs around me faster and gradually move to the hallway and into the stairway. Thankfully they're not aiming at the residents anymore and are more fixated at me. One thing that's giving me a hard time though is helping and protecting some of the policemen.

"You're all getting in my nerves! GGGRRAAAAAHHHH!"

I let my rage take over a part of me. My hits become more powerful—with just one strike, a thug fall unconscious. I make my way towards their boss while I still protect and help the policemen and make sure that every single thug in my way stays down on the floor.

"So the little demon is slowly comin' back, huh? This is gonna be a fun night! Get her!"

His right hand men start coming at me and just like the others they fall in one hit.

"Where are ya lookin', little devil? Got no eyes for me?" the boss suddenly appears at my right side and swings his subordinate's metal bat.

"Oh shit!"

I immediately hold my wooden sword sideways on front of me as a defense measure. The force pushes me backwards until my back was against the wall.

This is bad—I'm cornered. He limited my movement just like that. I can still defend and attack myself but this means I can move or dodge as easily. If I get hit just once, it could spell real trouble for me.

Some of the policemen try to come over to help me but they get distracted and stopped by the other thugs going after them or resisting their arrest.

"This is your chance, brothers! If you get her down here and now, the boss will definitely promote ya! Let her have it!" the boss shouts loudly.

"I won't fall in the hands of chumps like you! Come and try!"

They kept coming at me even faster and in greater numbers. Naturally, I'm still able to take 'em down in one to two hits but I'm startin' to wonder if my stamina is gonna last long enough. There's seriously like a wave of people comin' at me.

What the hell are the damn cops doing?! Are they just busy rounding up the others or are we already outnumbered?! Why won't they call for back up if they're outnumbered?!

Fighting for hours, my stamina starts to wear thin. I notice that my movements are slowing down and I'm starting to catch my breath. If I don't pick myself up a little more, I'll be taken away by them and who knows what they'll do to me.

"GGGGRAAAGHHHHHH!" I grunt loudly and start to hit faster again but this time, I start to walk forward as I take them down; I need to get away for a while and recover a little! If I don't, I'll get tired and they'll pull me off right under my feet!

"So you're starting to tire out huh, little devil? I'm not letting you slip away from my fingers!" the boss takes out his sickle and starts swinging it at me.

"Whoa!" I almost didn't see one of his attacks. I evaded one swing to my face just in time!

I try to hit his hand so that he'd drop his sickle but he sees right thru my idea and evades each hit to his hand.

Suddenly, I hear a door break somewhere in an upper floor. I stopped for a second and looked up.

"Looks like the little devil has someone she's protecting in this building in the upper floors! Boys, ya'll know what to do!" the boss says.

"Just a little more and I really will start killing you people!" I say angrily at him.

I swing my wooden sword at him but I miss and he pulls my sword towards him, making me get closer to him. He then grabs me by my collar and slams me against the wall. "That won't be surprising, little devil. You did kill our brothers back then when you were younger; I won't be surprised if you'd do it again."

I glare angrily at him. "That…That was an accident years ago!" I bump my head against him and then tackle him. He falls onto the floor with me sitting on top of him I start to punch him several times. "That was an accident that I swore to never repeat again!"

My punches made his face swollen and his blood stained my hands. Once he stops resisting due to the pain, I stop, pick up my wooden sword, and ran for the upper floors. I stop the thugs that try to break into the units for every floor I went up. Once I reached Ranmaru's floor, there were a couple of thugs already going around.

"Anybody in there? Let's have some innocent fun!" one of the thugs says as he tries to break down a door.

"Go and have fun on your own in hell!" I swipe my sword across the floor until it swipes his feet. He falls down to the floor and I grab his arm and thrown him down the nearest stairway.

I start hearing the cops' voices at the floor beneath me; I guess their cavalry arrived.

A door break open and when I turn around to look, it was the door to Ranmaru's apartment. Without a second to spare, I rush over as the thugs start to go inside.

"Who the hell are you people and what are you all doing in my apartment?! Why the hell did you break my door?! Do you know how much it'll cost to repair the door?!"

Damn it! That's Ranmaru's voice!

"Ranmaru!"

The moment I got to his door, the sight before me left me speechless—the thugs that entered his apartment are on the floor in pain.

"What…happened?" I say.

"Huh? What're you doin' here? Do you know who the hell are these idiots? They broke my door! I just paid my bills and sent money to my mother and sister! I got no extra cash for this crap!"

"Uh. Well—"

"Just thinkin' about the cost for a new door and the locks is giving me a headache! Plus I have to pay the guy who's gonna fix the door! You've got to be kiddin' me!"

This is…so like him.

I sigh in relief but my sense of ease gets cut short when a thug suddenly grabs my waist from behind and lifts me up into the air as he bends backwards.

"I got ya, you little wench! Hahaha!"

"That's what you think, idiot!"

I tightly lock my arms around his neck as he lifts me. As I'm about to hit the floor, I use my feet to kick the ground once they touched the floor and send myself back up into the air. I use my body weight to make the thug fall forward, keeping my arms tightly around his neck.

"ARGHHH!" The thug screams in pain and his gasps for air mixes in his voice. He gradually stops moving after a minute or so.

"Emi, did you just kill him?!" Ranmaru asks frantically.

"No. He's unconscious." I pant rapidly as I pick up my wooden sword that I dropped when the thug lifted me. "Ranmaru, it's the yakuza. Go and take shelter somewhere. The cops are here to round them up but they increased their numbers. Whatever you do, don't come out. Most of them are on the lower levels but they're gradually coming up."

A thug with a metal bat suddenly runs inside Ranmaru's unit and I hit him with my sword right on the face. He falls flat on the floor.

I turn to Ranmaru one last time. "Don't come out, okay?" My tone was sincere more than ever.

I head out back into the hallways and carefully move around. I knocked down the thugs that came to this floor so what I have to look out for are those who're on their way up here but I have to get down to the lower floors to protect the residents.

Without any trouble, I got to go back down by one floor. There are a bunch of thugs here on the 9th floor. I carefully creep into the hallways.

Which of these thugs should I take down first? I should avoid the ones near the stairways 'cause there might be thugs along the stairway. Maybe I should go after—

"ARGHK!" A great pain grows on the back of my left shoulder and I can feel blood coming out of the spot.

"This is payback." Says the boss with the swollen and slightly bleeding face.

He regained consciousness?!

"Does it feel good?" He asks playfully.

He stabs his sickle further into my shoulder and twists it a little.

"ARGHHH! St..op! Basta—!"

He pulls my hair, destroying my hair bun, and rests his head on my neck. "Your scream of pain is kind of cute, ya know? I'm gonna make you scream even more when we take you back to the boss at head quarters. We'll tear you apart—ACK! AHH!"

He suddenly grunts and falls to the floor. The sickle is still on my shoulder.

"Emi!" Ranmaru was there when I looked back.

No words would come out of my mouth and I just ended up staring at him.

"Shit, you're hurt! What am I suppose to do?!" He was holding a metal bat; that was the bat that the thug that went inside his unit had. "We have to get you some help!"

I see a thug coming from the stairway behind him and I immediately stand up and get behind Ranmaru. I pull out the sickle from my left shoulder and use its handle to hit the thug right at the face.

"You shouldn't lower your guard, Ranmaru! Those guys are everywhere! You have to be careful! I told you not to—"

"If I didn't decide to come out then that guy would have hurt you even more and would have taken you away! What the hell are you doing?! Have you gone mad?!"

"Sh-Shut up! I didn't go mad! They were going to come and attack m—"

I stop talking as I take hold of my left shoulder.

"You have to stop now! Look at you! You're hurt! What if you get seriously injured again?!"

"I won't! I'm not just going to sit by and let them hurt other people when the person they're really aiming at is me! I'm not letting those thugs hurt innocent strangers or people that I care about!"

"But going against this many yakuza henchmen?! You have to be crazy!" He sees a thug coming from the opposite direction. He holds his metal bat firmly and hits the thug hard in the stomach. "You don't need to be a hero!"

I attack another thug. "I know that! I'm not trying to be one!" I attack another thug who tried to grab me. "I don't care about becoming a hero! All I want to do is to make sure that no one gets hurt because of me! All of the people here in the apartment are good people who have nothing to do with the yakuza group and definitely don't deserve to get hurt for no reason! If anyone should be at fault, it should be me! It's my fault that everyone here got dragged into this! If only I could have done something else…something to prevent this from happening from the start…" I take down a couple more of the thugs before turning to face Ranmaru. "I always think about things like that!" My voice came out angrier than it should have.

He suddenly pulls me into his arms. "Sometimes you're too kind. Not everything is your fault." He swings his bat at a thug who almost hit me with a pipe. "And I know that you know that." He says seriously but in a kind way. "You shouldn't carry everything when you shouldn't be carrying them."

I slip away from Ranmaru and with my right hand, I swing my sword down on a thug holding a wrench. The thug doesn't go down though since my strength has weakened; he only momentarily stopped moving from the pain he got from me. The moment he recovers, he suddenly swings his wrench at me. With little to no time to react, I unconsciously block it with my left arm. "Argh! Son of a—!" I grab his wrench with my left hand and then swing my sword with my right; I aimed directly at his face. He steps back but I attack again but this time I hit the side of his torso; this time he went down.

The radio in my pocket starts to make a lot of noise so I take it out and a police officer speaks. "Nakahara-san, we have successfully subdued and captured the yakuza from floor 1 to 8. Which floor are you at?"

"I'm on the 10th. There are a couple of them here but I can take them down; all you have to do is handcuff them and take 'em away. I'm not sure about the 9th floor but I'm guessing there ain't much of them there since there aren't any more thugs comin' up here at the 10th."

"Roger that; we will have our men move up to your location. Are you hurt? Will you need medical attention? We have an ambulance on standby."

"…I'm alright. I won't need medical attention."

I tuck away the radio back into my pocket and sit on the floor. "It's done."

"Oi! Why did you tell them that you don't need medical attention?! You got freakin' stabbed by a sickle?! You need to get that treated!" Ranmaru says angrily.

"First of all, I don't want to go back to the hospital okay?! Second, the wound isn't as bad as it looks! It stopped bleeding already and I can move my left arm just fine. The guy didn't stab me with enough power to go deeper and he didn't hit anything vital. It's just a regular kind of shallow stab wound; I just have to disinfect it and cover it up and it'll heal over time."

"Tch! You can be such a pain to deal with! Come here!"

"Eh?! Huh?! What?! W-Wha!"

He grabs the collar of my shirt from behind and starts dragging me across the floor with him.

"H-Hey! That hurts! I can walk, you know! Ack! Stop!"

He releases me. "Then pick yourself up and get your butt in my place or I'll drag you again!"

I follow him into his apartment and he makes me sit on the couch.

"Take your shirt off." He says.

"Excuse me? What did you just say?"

"I said take your shirt off. Now."

"Why would I do that?!"

"Tch. So stubborn." He suddenly takes hold of my shirt and removes it.

What the hell is this all of a sudden?! Did he just strip my shirt off just like that?! What is this sorcery?!

He throws my shirt into basin with water. "This should help get rid of the blood stains on your shirt; I'll wash it a little later." He then takes out a medical kit from his cabinet and sits beside me on the couch. "Could ya face the other way and hold your hair to the side?"

"U-Uh, okay."

"I'm gonna put disinfectant on your wound now. If it hurts, suck it up."

The moment that his cotton ball soaked with disinfectant touches my wound, I flinch a little at the pain. Before he dabs the cotton ball again, he starts to gently blow air at the area he just touched. He kept blowing gently at the wound each time he dabbed the cotton ball. He then applied antibiotic ointment on the wound.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not so much."

"I'm going to cover it up now. If it hurts too much, tell me."

I nod and patiently wait for him to finish. The whole time, I can feel him acting carefully to make it less painful for me.

"It' all done; covered up well."

"Um. Thanks."

He stands up and goes into his bedroom. Not long after, he comes back with a shirt on hand. "You can wear this for the meantime. It's clean."

He hands me a gray shirt with a yellow banana picture in the middle.

"Can you put it on by yourself?"

"Yeah, I can."

"If you want to change into short or have your pants washed too, you can borrow a pair from my dresser in the bedroom. They might be kinda big on you but I guess you could clip it at the side."

"Okay." I nod.

"I'm just gonna go wash your shirt so that the blood stain can come off. You can just stay put and rest. It's pretty late already and I got no front door at the meantime but I think you should stay here for tonight and get home in the morning. You can stay in my bedroom and use the bed; I'll sleep on the couch."

"I'm fine with sleeping here on the couch."

"Yeah I know but I don't think your wound will be okay using the couch. I don't mind so just take the bed. Just call me if ya need anything."

"Okay, thanks." I stand up and approach the door of his bedroom.

"If I'm not around when you wake up, I'm just out to get a freakin' door." He says in an annoyed tone while looking at his broken front door. "Lock the bedroom door when you sleep."

"You do know that you don't have to buy a new door, right?"

"What are you talkin' about? I'm not leaving my entrance open like this." He points firmly at his broken door. "The last thing I want to happen next is to get robbed."

"But you're going to have a new door put up by the time you wake up."

"What are ya talkin' about?"

"Ohhh so you really don't know? I told the management to tell everyone that I'll be paying for all of the damages. Anyone who had their stuff or furniture destroyed or ruined will get replacements or compensation from me." I point at his door. "There's a group of people I hired to repair every single damage in the building including the doors; you don't have to pay or do anything."

"Really? Since when was this a thing?"

"…I'm guessing you didn't read everything that was on the paper that the administration of the apartment building distributed, huh."

"Oh…Yeah, that's true. I only read halfway thru 'cause it had a lot of stuff written on it."

"You're such an idiot."

"Hmph. Better than being a kid."

"I'm not a kid!"

"I've got a question, it's been a thought that's been bugging me, are you planning to go after that yakuza group?"

My fist tightens for a moment but after taking a deep breath, it loosens. "At first, yeah, I really want to but I've decided not to go after them with my own two hands; I'm letting Auntie and her group take care of them this time. It's…It's not a good idea now to go after them because this time I have people and things around me that could be taken away unlike before when I already lost what was everything to me. I've been talking about it with Auntie over the phone and well she kind of convinced me to stop too. I believe in her group so I think I can afford to stop going after them on my own from now on."

He smiles. "I'm glad to know that your aunt was able to knock some sense into ya. What you've been doing is really dangerous and it gets you injured too. I wouldn't know what to do or maybe even go a little crazy if somethin' were to happen to you again like last time. The stab wound that you got earlier on really gave me a heart attack, you know? I got really worried! If you got fears of losing the people you treasure, those same people have the same fear of losing you; those people that care about you and like you get worried too whenever you do things like this. It's not because they don't trust ya or think you ain't strong but because they're just worried about the uncertainty of you not comin' back. I don't care if you believe me or don't feel the same way but I'm pretty sure that I care about what happens to you. I definitely care."

I rush towards the couch and pick up one of the throw pillows. I look at Ranmaru as I raise it in the air.

"O-Oi! Emi! What are you—Ack?!"

Immediately, I push down the pillow onto his face. The force makes him lie down on the couch and I continue to push the pillow down; don't worry, I'm not trying to kill him...yet!

With a slightly loud voice I say to him, "You should stop talkin' and just go to bed!"

I let go of the pillow and immediately went into the bedroom.

*click click* I lock the door.

Ranmaru takes the pillow off of his face and sits up. He faces the bedroom door and says, "What the hell did I do this time?!"

He sighs and lies down on the couch again. He hugs the pillow as he stares at his ceiling.

"Was it something I said?" He turns over to his right side. "I don't get it. Sigh, I'll just do the laundry before sleepin'. I really don't' understand women sometimes."

In the bedroom, Emi punches one of the pillows while saying 'Idiot!' over and over again. She decides to go to sleep after feeling tired from hurting the pillow.

* * *

The next morning, Koemi wakes up to the smell of food. She peeps outside the door of the bedroom and sees Ranmaru at the kitchen cooking some food. While he was putting the food on the table, he notices her.

"What are you doin' hiding behind the door? You look like a creepy cat."

"I-I don't know!"

"For what I know, you got stabbed on the shoulder and not hit on the head and yet there you are actin' all weird. Ya sure you're okay?"

"I'm okay!"

"Come here and let's eat breakfast; I'm hungry."

I walk over the table and see the food he prepared. "You cooked these?"

"Who else would have?" He takes off his apron and sits down.

I take a bite and my eyes sparkle. "I knew you can cook but I didn't think it would be this good."

"What do you take me for? I'm confident with my cooking skill."

As Emi eats, Ranmaru watches her a little. A small smile forms on his face every time he sees her enjoying the food.

"The door was fixed when I woke up. The people you hired did a great job; not only did they work without waking up anyone, the doors were installed really well."

"They work for an old friend of mine who put up his own construction company."

"Your shirt was dry when I woke up so I folded it; it's on the couch."

"Thanks again. I'll treat ya next time!"

"No need for that. How's your shoulder?"

"It's fine; I had to sleep on my right side so that I wouldn't press on it."

"I'll change the bandage before you head home."

"Hm, I can just have it changed by Mana when I get home."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." I take a big bite of my food.

"Suit yourself." Ranmaru sulks a little as he drinks his coffee. "You're gonna commute home, right?"

"Yup."

"Can I go with you?"

"Hm? Why?"

"Well if ya want me to come over in the future and if I want to see Nao, I should know how to get there."

"True. It's a little tricky to get to my new place; even I miss my stops sometimes…"

"I think I'll remember. I ain't a sucker with directions."

"Ranmaru, could you remind to go to the 8th floor to get the back of my wooden sword before we leave? Oh, and I have to give back this key to the admin desk at the lobby."

"Sure."

We continue talking as we eat breakfast. It's a peaceful morning; it feels great.

"I'll wash the dishes since you cooked."

"Can you?"

"Would you stop treating me like I broke my arms or shoulder? I'm telling you that I'm fine, monkey."

"I bet that if I got stabbed like you did, you'd be acting like me."

"You wouldn't get stabbed in the first place because I won't let that happen. If you did get stabbed, it was probably because you acted like an idiot. I'd leave you on the floor crying!" I stick my tongue out at him as I pick up the plates.

"Such an evil kid." He says playfully before sipping his coffee.

"Bleh." I stick my tongue out at him again before heading to the kitchen sink.

"Hold on." He turns around on his chair. "Is there any dish washing soap by the sink?"

"Oh, there's none. Did you run out?"

"I have a spare bottle in the cabinet right above you."

"Okay."

I reach up for the cabinet but retract my arm right away because I used my left; I forgot I was injured. I try reaching for it with my right arm but I suddenly get frustrated because the handle of the cabinet is about an inch higher.

"Pfft."

I turn my head around and look at Ranmaru with a dead stare for laughing at me.

"Sorry, sorry, I couldn't help it. It was funny to watch."

"I'm starting to dislike you."

"Sorry! Haha. I'll get it for you."

He stands up and opens the cabinet while standing behind me. He takes out the bottle of dish washing soap and hands it over to me.

"I kind of thought you won't be able to reach the cabinet 'cause back at your old apartment downstairs, I noticed your cabinets were installed a little lower than the usual."

"Wait, so you made me try to get this on purpose? You're such a meanie!"

"Haha. I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It was worth it though."

I pinch his nose hard.

"O-Ouch! I can't breathe!"

"Hmph." I release his nose and start to wash the dishes.

* * *

After getting my sword's bag and returning the key to the admin desk, we set off to my place. As I expected, we got off one station earlier when we rode the train and when we rode the bus, we missed out stop and had to take another bus ride to get back to the previous stop.

"You suck."

"Shut up, Ranmaru. I'm still getting used to it!"

"Do you really live here?"

I elbow his arm in irritation. As we walk down one street, I take his arm and pull him.

"This is one of the best parts of my new neighbourhood! Look! Look! This old man's store sells a lot of really tasty snacks. Mana bought me something here before and it was really tasty! I'm gonna buy one snack every time I pass by here after coming from work; that's what I thought."

"It's a nice store and it gives you a warm feeling in here."

"Right? That's what I said to Mana when she brought me here for the first time."

We continue on and after walking thru a few alleys, we arrive at my new apartment building.

"This place really is kind of hidden. There're a lot of turns to take before getting here."

"There was a time I took a short walk around here and then I got lost so I called Mana to find me…"

"I'll keep in mind to call ya if I get lost on my way here."

We go inside the apartment building and ride the elevator to the 9th floor. I ring the doorbell to unit 912. The door opens and Nao jumps onto me.

"I'm home!" I say to him as he licks my face and rubs his face against my cheek. "Look who's here to visit ya." I carry him over to Ranmaru and he immediately goes on his shoulder and rubs his face against Ranmaru's.

"Welcome home, Emi."

I turn around and see Mana wearing her pajamas and she has a blanket covering her. Her hair is a mess and she's pale.

"Mana?! You look like a zombie!"

"Rukawa?! You look terrible! What the hell happened to you?!"

"It seems my coughs and colds progressed into a fever." Mana says sluggishly.

"You should go back to bed! Do we still have some medicine in stock?! Do you want me to go buy some?!"

*meow*

"Ranmaru, go cook up something for Mana to eat! I'm gonna go buy medicine for a sec!"

*meowww*

"Ah! Could you feed Nao too? Thanks!"

"H-Hold on! Emi, are ya going to be okay going on your own?"

"I'll be fine! If I call because I got lost, just send Nao to get me!"

*meowwww*

"I can see Buddha waiving at me..." Mana says with a groan.

"Don't go with him! You have to stay here with us, Rukawa! Knock him out if he starts taking you thru force!"

"The Buddha wouldn't do that...he's kind...Unlike Saotome who's driving us managers to death and creating problems all the time especially with schedules...Maybe this is my calling..." Mana groans.

"Oh hell no! I'm not letting you answer that calling! C'mon, move your feet a little! You're kind of heavy! You won't make it to your bed this way!"

*meoooow*

Nao is pushing Rukawa's legs; at least he's trying to help.

"I can hear birds singing in the air and there's a deer that's holding a can of beer..."

"Rukawa, are you really sick? You're starting to sound drunk."


	23. Chapter 22: Spilled

**Chapter 22: Spilled**

"E…mi…." A low and groaning voice says.

I enter the bedroom with a face mask on. "Yes? What can I do for you this time, zombie Mana?"

It's been almost two weeks that Mana has been sick. We visited a doctor on the 3rd day that she was sick and the doctor said that she just has fever and that all she needs is to rest and take her medicine until she recovers.

Nao has been staying by Mana's side since the day she got sick; such a reliable cat. Mana rolls to her right side so that she could face me from her bed. With a stuffy nose, she says, "Emi, I assume that by this time, our pantry cabinets have become low on supply or even empty. Could you buy some groceries today? I'd like to accompany you with the car so that you can buy many food items but as you can see, I haven't recovered. Just buy whatever you can carry."

"Okay, I understand. Just lie down and rest so that you can recover soon! I'll handle everything for now."

"Thank you. My wallet is in my bag; you can get some money from the brown envelop that's labelled 'house funds'."

"Roger that. By the way, I've refilled the water container and placed it here on your side table with a glass so that you won't have to stand up to get some water."

"That is a big help. Thank you."

"I'll just get changed and then I'll head out."

"Emi."

"Yeah?"

"You've been taking care of me, the apartment, and work these days. You can go out to play today if you'd like; you don't have to do the groceries and to come home right away. I believe you've earned the right to go out and enjoy some leisure time."

"Eh? Really?"

She nods. "You've been working hard lately and I think you deserve a reward."

"Hmm. If you says so. I guess I'll just stroll around or something."

"Just get home before midnight as always. Don't forget to message from time to time too."

"Yeah, yeah."

The yakuza are probably layin' low for now but I still wear my disguise from time to time to be sure. After all, I don't just hide from the yakuza but also from my ever so loving fans. Sigh.

As I walk along the streets going to the train station, all I could do was to think about what to do with the free time that I've got all of a suddenly. It's such a pain to get free time out of nowhere 'cause it's so hard to think about what to do with it on the spot. The next thing you'll know is that you've spent your entire free time just thinkin' about what to do with it.

I take out my phone and start browsing the internet as I walk to the train station. I stumble upon a an article about a restaurant and the pictures of the food starts to make feel hungry; I think my stomach is noisy because I haven't eaten breakfast today. Eating out alone is kind of boring but it's worth a shot; the article rated the restaurant with four stars so it should be good. If the food is good, I could go back with Mana when she's all better. Hm, the restaurant is in a district that I know so I should be able to find it; this city should be about six stops away.

There aren't a lot of people in the train since it's not rush hour. Bored, I look around the train as I sit at the bench on the right side of the train. Naturally, there are advertisements everywhere but when I look up, the banners catch my attention—it's an advertisement of Ranmaru's latest album. I heard it's selling really well and that news doesn't surprise me since his songs are always great. I haven't bought a copy yet of this album since I haven't had the time to pass by the music store; maybe I can later after eating.

I reach the restaurant and I'm lucky that it's not crowded today.

"Welcome! Seat for one?" A waiter asks me.

"Yes, table for one."

"Please follow me this way."

* * *

"Reiji, are you sure the restaurant that we're going to has delicious food?"

"Don't worry Ai-Ai! I think it does!"

"Thinks he says." Camus says in a tone implying something.

"Awww! Have more faith in me Myu-chan! A friend of mine recommended the place so it should be good!"

"I hope your friend has good taste then."

"Oi! Keep your eyes on the road!" Ranmaru says.

"The restaurant is quite a distance away. I truly hope our time will not be wasted." Ai says as he looks outside the car window.

"If the food doesn't taste good then I'll pay for everything!" Reiji says.

Camus, Ai, and Ranmaru look at each other.

"The food must be horrible." Camus says.

"I agree. The taste shall be unpleasant and distasteful." Ai says.

"It's gonna suck." Ranmaru says as he leans back on his seat.

"Hey! That's not fair! Don't judge the food like that just because I said I was going to pay if it tastes bad! Have mercy on my wallet! Plus I'm driving for you guys!"

The four men arrive at the restaurant after a while.

"This is the place?" Ranmaru asks.

"Yup! This is it!" Reiji says with excitement.

"'Little Palace'? Such a plain and uninteresting name for an establishment." Camus says.

"Hey, hey, don't judge until you've tasted the food! Let's go, let's go."

A waiter approaches. "Welcome! Table for four?"

Reiji nods and the waiter escort them to a table further inside. Reiji sits besides Camus at one side of the table while Ai sits on the opposite side, on front of Camus. Ranmaru sits on the chair opposite of Reiji.

The waiter gives each of them a menu. "Take your time to look thru the menu. Feel free to call me when you're all ready to order." He leaves them and proceeds to do his other duties.

"So what are we getting'?" Ranmaru asks.

"My friend said that the roasted duck, sweet and sour pork, baked salmon, and the steak are good. Oh! He also said that the desserts are all good!" Reiji says.

"Is this friend of yours a food critique? It sounds as if he's tasted quite a lot of items from the menu." Ai says.

"That's right, Ai-Ai. He's a food critique that writes for an online lifestyle website; he's quite known."

"Then perhaps your friend may be reliable after all." Camus says nonchalantly.

"Then let's get all of the items you said; we can just share 'em all since the serving is kinda big." Ranmaru says.

"I think that that is a good idea." Ai says.

"Okay! So we'll get all those. Do you guys want anything else to add?"

"I'd like to try this cake of theirs." Camus points at an item on the menu.

"Okay! We'll add that and have it served later when we're done eating the main course. I want to try this other cake; the one with fruits on top." Reiji says. "What about you Ai-Ai? Ran-chan?"

"I'll pass on dessert." Ranmaru says.

"I'd like to try their special pudding. The description piques my interest." Ai says.

"We're all settled then. I'll place our orders now."

Reiji raises his hand to call a waiter and dictates their orders.

"And the waiting game is on!" Reiji says. "This restaurant has a nice atmosphere to it, doesn't it?"

"It is acceptable." Camus says. "The interior is not terrible but it isn't great either."

"It's a cozy place. It's ideal for people who want to eat peacefully and comfortably." Ai says.

"My friend says that this place gets really crowded sometimes especially in the weekends." Reiji says. "Ai-Ai, your wedding is coming up in a few months, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

"I can't wait to see you and Kaori walk down the aisle! I'm pretty sure that I might cry seeing the both of you on your wedding day. Haha."

Ai's expression becomes even more emotionless. "Please don't. It will be troublesome."

"We're allowed to bring one partner, right? I had someone in mind but she's busy on the day of the wedding so she can't come. It's a pity that I'll be going by my lonesome self."

"You're technically not alone since you'll be with us and everyone from Starish, Reiji."

"How about you Camus? Are you bringing anyone?" Reiji asks teasingly.

"Definitely no one."

Reiji looks at Ranmaru next. "Are you going to bring anyone, Ran-chan?"

"Huh? Me?" He places a hand behind his neck. "I got no one."

"You're not bringing your girlfriend?" Reiji asks teasingly once more.

"What are you talkin' about? I don't have a girlfriend…Just a friend."

"Aren't you going to ask your friend then? Hihi."

"Why would I?!"

"Why not? Hihihi."

Ranmaru crosses his arms and his eyebrows start to furrow.

"Ran-Ran is considering it. Hihihi."

"Your laughter is starting to sound sinister, Kotobuki. If children were to see you and hear you right now, they'd think you're a weird old man." Camus says.

"You hurt my feelings as usual with your affection, Myu-chan. But seriously though! Why not ask her to be your partner for the wedding, Ran-Ran?!"

"I think it's gonna be awkward."

"Why would it be?! Ask herrrrrrr."

"I think that Ranmaru is hesitant to ask Emi to be her partner for the wedding because their current status as of today is that of friends." Ai says. "I think he feels it would be awkward since she's not his girlfriend yet."

"I like the 'yet' at the end of what you said, Ai-Ai. Hihihi."

Reiji looks at Ranmaru with a smile to which Ranmaru responds to by looking away.

"If that's what's holding you back, then ask her to be your girlfriend already! She's the first ever woman to be this close to you! I think she's a match made in heaven for you, Ran-Ran!"

"Oh hell no, don't get started with that. Can we just drop this and talk about somethin' else?!"

"Nooooo! If I was able to get Ai and Kaori together, then I'm going to play cupid for you and Emi-chan!"

"To be frank, what he said was true. You've been wary of women since the day we unfortunately met you. This is the first time we've seen you getting along with a woman and in a very good way." Camus says.

"Oi Count, what's with that 'unfortunate' remark huh?"

Ai sighs a little. "Ranmaru, Reiji and Camus are both correct. I personally think that you and Emi get along really well despite your dislike for women however I am starting to think that you've been kinder to women ever since you've spent time with Emi more often; even your fits of irritation and anger have been reduced as if you've been tamed. Contrary to Reiji and Camus, I'm not saying that you should rush into a relationship with her but perhaps you should keep an open mind for it? You don't have to ask her to be your girlfriend this instant but perhaps you should consider her as a candidate? I find it hard to believe the idea that you have not become fond of her; I believe that you have indeed become fond of her and that fondness of yours may have grown more or may be presently growing."

Reiji, Camus, and Ai stare intently at Ranmaru; they're waiting for him to say something.

"…I think…do…" Ranmaru mumbles.

"Hmph. Do you not know how to speak properly? Even a toddler would make more sense than you." Camus says.

Ranmaru glares at Camus before looking away. "I said—!" He sighs. "I think I do like her…in that way."

"Bingo! I knew it!" Reiji says as he suddenly stands up in joy. "The denial stage is over!" He sits down. "Soooo what will be your next step?"

Ranmaru just sighs in defeat.

"He's quite meddlesome, isn't he? I sympathize with you." Ai says.

Reiji continues to tease Ranmaru for a while until Camus suddenly speaks. "I've had enough. It has been bothering me for quite some time."

"What are you talking about, Myu-chan?"

"Kurosaki, you have been consistently looking at one particular direction somewhere behind me for some time now. What on earth is bothering you?" Camus asks in an irritated tone. "It's very distracting every time I notice!"

"Eh? Ran-Ran has been doing that? I didn't even notice."

"Did you see someone you know?" Ai asks.

"Well…" Ranmaru looks at the direction that Camus has been talking about. "I'm not sure." He looks away as he puts a hand behind his neck.

Reiji looks at the direction he looked at just seconds ago and sees the back of a woman who is sitting at a table near the corner of the back end of the restaurant.

"Ran-chan…Don't tell me you're interested in that woman? Are you cheating on your feelings for Emi? Are you turning into a full blown bad boy?!"

"It's not that, idiot! I just have a feelin' that I know her but I'm not sure. It ain't helping that she's got her back turned to our side so I can't see her face."

"Well if it's bothering you that much, why not speak to her?" Camus suggests.

"Are you crazy? It's totally gonna make me look like a weirdo or some kind of creep! I'll look stupid if it turns out to be someone I don't know!"

"Then why not—"

"No way, Reiji. I'm not flirting with her. Over my dead body, I won't do that."

"I have a suggestion. Why not go to the toilet?" Ai points his finger. "It's over there at the end of this floor of the restaurant and it's the direction that the woman is facing. You'll be able to see her face when you come out of the toilet."

"That is not a bad idea." Camus says.

"As expected of Ai-Ai; he always comes up with something good!"

"I guess that could work." Ranmaru says with hesitation.

"What are you waiting for? Get on with it." Camus says.

"Fine, fine, fine. I'll be back in a sec."

Ranmaru stands and makes his way into the men's toilet.

"I feel like an idiot right now." He mutters to himself.

He waits for a while before leaving the men's toilet. The moment he gets out, he looks over at the table where the woman was sitting. His eyes meet the woman's eyes and to their surprise, they knew each other—the woman was Emi in disguise. They smile at each other.

"What are you doing here, Ranmaru? This isn't a place that looks like your type of restaurant."

"You ain't wrong about that. I'm actually here with the guys. We decided to eat out."

"Guys? You mean the other members of QN?"

"Yeah. We're seated over there."

Ranmaru points at QN's table. Emi turns around and sees the other three looking back at her; Reiji even waves at her.

Reiji approaches the two of them. "Hello Emi-chan! What a coincidence to find you here! Are you eating by yourself?"

"Yeah. My manager usually goes with me every time I go out but she's sick so it's just me today."

"Rukawa is still sick? How's she doing?" Ranmaru asks.

"The doctor says she just has fever. She's doing better compared to the first day of her fever."

"I hope your manager gets better soon. Hey Emi-chan, you want to eat with us instead? Eating with others makes the food taste better." Reiji says.

"You sure? Isn't this like some kind of bonding time for you guys?"

"Not really. We just came on a whim." Ranmaru says.

"If you don't mind having me, then I'll eat with you guys. Let me just tell the waiter than I'm transferring to your table."

"Yay!"

"Good day to you." Camus says to Emi.

"Hello." Ai says.

"We technically know each other but I'll introduce myself anyway since this is the first time I'm officially meeting you all in person. Nice to finally meet you all in the flesh. We all work for the same agency but we hardly see one another because of different work schedules. I'm Nakahara Koemi; I work under the stage name 'Eika'. Feel free to call me whatever you like but I'm guessing you're all going to end up callin' me 'Emi' because of the monkey."

"I'm not a monkey, kid." Ranmaru says.

Camus moves one seat to his right and Reiji adjusts as well one seat to his right; Emi sits beside Reiji so she's now the one on front of Ranmaru.

"Kotobuki Reiji! Nice to meet you, Emi-chan!"

"I'm Camus. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Mikaze Ai. It's nice to meet you."

"Based on the stories that I've been hearing from Ranmaru, you're all a lively bunch!" Emi looks over at Camus. "You must be the person that Ranmaru refers to as the 'Count'. I hear that you two argue a lot and that you pick on this monkey a lot."

"Yes, that is true. Does it bother you?"

"Not at all! In fact, I want to thank you for it! It's just fun to bully him sometimes! I'm happy to know that someone is tormenting him while I'm not around hehe."

Camus smiles slightly. "It seems we will be getting along just fine, Nakahara."

"The feeling is mutual!"

At that moment, Emi and Camus had formed a bond that made Ranmaru concerned.

"So what brought you to this restaurant?" Ai asks.

"I was going to buy some groceries and then I was given permission by my manager to have some fun out in the town and I didn't really have anything planned to do so I was looking at some stuff in the internet and saw an article about this place. So here I am."

"Oh, is the article from the lifestyle website called 'Life is Style'?" Reiji asks.

"Yeah! That's where I read the article."

"What a coincidence again! That's the same reason why we're here too! The author of that article is a friend of mine; he told me about this place and then I suggested it to them."

"Really? I follow his blog and articles; he's got good taste in food and I usually check out the places that he recommends."

"By the way, my fiancée and Isaw your commercial for Degree cat food. Was the cat in the commercial yours? Ranmaru mentioned before that you have a cat so I thought the cat in the commercial might have been yours." Ai says.

"The cat was my cat; his name is Nao."

"He was absolutely impressive; my fiancée couldn't stop mentioning how talented and cute your cat was. You and your cat both did an impressive job for the commercial."

Emi smiles at Ai's praise. "Thanks! It's kind of embarrassing to be praised all of a sudden though!"

All five of them continue to talk for a while until a waiter arrives at their table.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting! Your orders have arrived." He starts to arrange all of the food across the table. "Please enjoy your meal." The waiter leaves them after doing his job.

"The food smells great!" Reiji says.

"It looks great to!" Emi says.

"This is quite a lot of food. I hope we can finish everything." Ai says as he looks at each dish.

"Eating here may not be such a bad idea after all." Camus says.

"Time to eat!" Ranmaru says as he picks up his fork.

Each of them tastes each dish and to their delight, the food tastes very good just like what the food critique said. They continued to talk and eat until nothing was left on the table.

"Whaa! My stomach is practically full! I hope I still have some room for dessert!" Reiji says.

"You guys ordered dessert?" Emi asks.

"We all did except Ran-chan."

"Pffft." Emi holds her laughter as he hears Ranmaru's other nickname.

"Did I say something funny?" Reiji asks. "Eh? Ran-Ran, it's not polite to glare at people especially at a woman!"

"Pfft…!"

Reiji, Camus, and Ai look at Emi whose controlled laughter puzzles them.

Emi could no longer hold her laughter and lets it loose. "I'm sorry for laughing out of nowhere. It's just that when I tried to call Ranmaru using those nicknames, he would totally get angry. Just hearing someone else call him by those names makes me realize how they're too cute for him; it's kind of funny. Every time I'd try to use those names on him, he'd cut or stop me right away."

"He never did like those silly nicknames." Camus says. "Even I dislike my nickname that came from this idiot." He points at Reiji.

"My nicknames for you guys are cute! You all should love them!" Reiji says in a sulking tone.

"It's only Mikaze who tolerates your silly nicknames." Camus says.

"That's because Ai-Ai loves me!"

The waiter returns and this time he brought the desserts that they ordered. He places a plate of strawberry shortcake on front of Camus. He then places a plate of a cake with various fruits on top of it in front of Reiji. A creamy and delightful looking pudding was placed on front of Ai. The waiter leaves after telling them to enjoy their dessert.

"The desserts look delicious!" Emi says.

"Would you be interested in tasting my cake?" Camus asks. "I do not mind sharing one bite so that you may know how it tastes."

"Sure!"

Camus cuts a small piece of his cake and feeds it to Emi.

"Hmm! It tastes really good! The cake is soft and fluffy plus the cream and strawberry is balanced in proportion!"

"Wha! I want to feed Emi-chan too! Emi-chan, do you want to taste my cake too?!"

"Okay! It looks delicious too!"

Reiji cuts a piece and feeds it to Emi.

"The fwuits…they go sho well witsh the cake! It's not too shweet and not too blawnd either!" Emi happily says as she chews.

"Haha. You're quite adorable, Emi-chan! You look like such a happy kid."

Ai sighs as he understands what the two are doing. Ranmaru looks a little bothered by their actions. Ai looks at Reiji who in turn winks at him, signalling his turn.

Ai sighs once again as he scoops a portion of his pudding with his spoon. "Would you like to try my pudding as well, Emi?"

"If it's okay!" She says with shining eyes,

Ai nods at her with a smile. He then passes the spoon with pudding to Ranmaru.

"What are you doin'?" Ranmaru asks him.

"I am not capable of stretching my arm across this table; I'm not made of elastic, Ranmaru." Ai says. "Could you feed her in my stead?"

Ranmaru is taken by shock at what he said.

"Are you kidding me?!" He whispers to Ai.

"Just play along and enjoy yourself." Ai tells him.

"This was their plan all along, wasn't it?!"

"Obviously."

Ranmaru sighs before taking the spoon from Ai. He looks at Emi and sees how fixated she is at the pudding resting on the spoon.

"Here, eat it." He says as he moves the spoon closer to her.

Emi happily eats the pudding. "It's melting in my mouth! It's so good!"

Ranmaru starts to feel a little embarrassed and gets irritated as he sees Ranmaru and Camus holding their laughter. He hands over the spoon back to Ai who proceeds to eat his pudding right after.

"Which one did you like the most, Emi-chan?"

"If I had to choose…I'd say the pudding! I should have ordered one…"

"You can if you really want to! It's my treat!"

"It's okay, Reiji; I'm not gonna order because by the time it would arrive on the table, all you would be done with your desserts already. Maybe next time!"

"If you say so! Just remind me that I owe you one dessert."

"Emi." Ranmaru suddenly says.

She looks at him and suddenly a tissue is pressed against her lips; she freezes in surprise and so did everyone else.

"You had some pudding at the side of your mouth. What are you, a seven year old kid? There. It's gone." Ranmaru folds the tissue and puts it aside.

"Urk! My heart!" Reiji says dramatically as he clenches his chest.

Emi just stares at him with an expression that spells out, 'What's happening?' Ranmaru on the other hand realizes what he was trying to say and looks away in embarrassment.

They call for the bill and head outside the restaurant after eating. Reiji, Camus, and Ai exchange numbers with Emi for future communication purposes.

"That was a great meal! Let's come back some other time. Emi-chan, are you on the way home? We got here with my car so if you want, we can drop you off."

"Nah, it's okay; thanks for the offer but I'm going to stop by some places first before buyin' groceries and heading home. Besides, I live in the opposite direction."

"Eh? Don't you live in the same apartment building as Ran-Ran?"

"Oh. Uhm. I _did_. I recently moved to a new apartment building."

"Will you be alright by yourself?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. I'm a strong girl!"

"Take care then! I hope we all get to hang out again." Reiji pats her head.

"It was a pleasure to spend some time with you. Take care on your way home." Camus says.

"Feel free to messages us if anything happens. Take care." Ai says.

"Thanks, guys! It was really nice and fun meeting you all. See you around!"

Emi turns her back at them as she starts walking. As QN heads for Reiji's car at the parking lot, Ranmaru takes a quick glance behind him and watches Emi walk away alone.

"Hey."

"What is it, Ran-Ran?"

"You guys go on ahead. I'm gonna go meet a friend for a while."

Reiji, Camus, and Ai look at each other for a moment.

"Sure, go ahead. See you, Ran-Ran!"

Ranmaru enters an alley and once he was out of sight, Camus sighs.

"One thing hasn't changed—he's still not very honest with himself."

"That is true but maybe he was just shy to admit that he wanted to go with Emi." Ai says.

Reiji chuckles. "If he wanted to go with her, he should have just said so. Silly, Ran-Ran."

* * *

"Emi!"

I turn around and see Ranmaru coming towards me. "Huh?" Ranmaru? I thought you were going home with the others? What are you doing here?"

He thinks for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. "I was just passing by."

I chuckle and lightly punch his arm. "You liar! You're totally lying!"

"Then let's just go with me wanting to go home on foot."

"You're lying again. The way back to your place is at the opposite direction; you suck at lying."

Ranmaru just shrugs and continues to walk beside me. I don't complain and just let him do whatever he wants.

"So where are you headed?"

"It's a secret."

He laughs a little. "Another secret? You've got a bunch of 'em."

I hit his arm with my elbow. "Oh shut up, would ya?"

After walking and talking for a while, I stop on front of a building—it's a cat and dog café. I head inside the shop and Ranmaru follows me in.

"Do you come here often?"

"I used to. It's been a while since I last came here. I'd usually come with Nao to this place to have him play with other animals."

"Nao is okay with dogs?"

"Yeah, he has a bunch of dog friends. He's kind to other animals."

I was about to go over to the counter but then I stopped and went back to Ranmaru.

"Are you gonna be stayin' too or not? I have to pay at the counter."

"I've never been to a dog or cat café before; this is my first time. I'll try it out."

He reaches for his wallet but I stop him.

"No need to pay. I'll treat ya since it's your first time."

"You sure? I can half with you if you want."

"Nah, I'll pay for both of us."

They get inside the play pen where the cats and dogs are mostly at.

"All of the cats and dogs here are friendly so you don't have to worry about getting scratched or anything."

Some cats start to approach me and I start petting them and playing with them. I look over at Ranmaru and see him pick up one of the cats. A dog then approaches him and he gives the dog some good petting; the dog then starts to follow him around.

"This is pretty fun." He says.

"It's relaxing too. Looks like the cats and dogs like you."

"I could say the same to you."

"They're all really cute." He says as a dog lies down on his lap.

"I know right? Nao is still number one though! If heaven is like this, I wouldn't mind dying hehe."

Unknown to him, I take candid pictures from time to time especially when he smiles; it a rare sight. Time flies by and the time I paid for to play with the pets finishes. We leave the shop and continue on walking.

"That was really fun. I'm going to come back when I have time." He says.

"Hahaha. Just don't forget about the alleys cats back at your apartment, Mr. Cat Fairy."

"Urgh. Don't call me that. Couldn't the kids think of a better name?"

"Well they're kids. What do you expect? At least they didn't think of names like Cat Queen or Cat princess."

"So where are you headed next?"

"Hmm. I was thinking of spending some time at an arcade. You wanna come too?"

"Sure."

We arrive at one arcade place in the inner part of the town. I head over to one of the crane machines that has Piyo-chan plushies as a prize.

"You're gonna play this one? You sure you can get it?"

"I am good at these crane machines. I always get a prize!"

I insert two pieces of one hundred yen coins and start playing. On my first try, I got the Piyo-chan.

"I got him! Another one into my collection!"

"You've got to be kiddin' me." Ranmaru says in amazement.

"What? You still don't believe me? Pick a crane machine with a prize that you want; I'll be able to get it."

We look at the other crane machines and he suddenly stops on front of one that has teddy bears as a prize.

"Do you pick this one?" I ask.

"Yeah, I think I'll go with this one."

I hand him my bag and Piyo-chan plushie to hold for a moment so that I can play properly.

"I didn't know that you liked teddy bears. You don't look like the type."

"Well I like them. I have one back at home."

"You do?" I think for a moment. "I don't remember seeing one at your place."

"It's hidden in my closet in my bedroom. It was a gift from my mom and dad when I was a kid."

"Really? That's cute! I want to see it the next time I go over at your place or you could bring it with you when you visit my place."

"Sure, I'll introduce you to Christopher."

"Christopher?"

"…It's the teddy bear's name." He says with a hint of embarrassment.

"Pfffft…"

"O-Oi! Don't laugh at me!"

"Hahaha. I'm sorry! I'm not laughing at you or making fun of you. I just thought that it was so cute of you and out of character to have a name for your teddy bear. You must treasure it a lot, don't you?"

"Y-Yeah."

I stretch my hands. "Then let me get Christopher a good companion! Which teddy bear to you want me to get?"

"What's your favorite color again?"

"Me? It's green."

"Then get a green one so that I'll remember who gave it to me."

"Roger that, Ranmaru!"

After two tries, I finally got the green teddy bear.

"Man, that was a little tough! I had to dig it out from the bottom!" I fix the ribbon that's tied around the bear's neck.

"It's still amazing how you got it in just two tries though."

"That's because I am amazing." I take my things form him and hold out the teddy bear to him. "Here you go! One good buddy for Christopher—meet Robin!"

"Robin? Why'd you name this one 'Robin'?"

"Do you know Winnie the Pooh?"

"Yeah. Robin is the kid—Oh."

I smile at the moment he realizes the pun.

"…It's corny." He says.

"But it matches! No complaints! Can't change this green bear's name!"

"Fine, fine. I'll take it."

"It's a cute bear."

He looks at it happily. "It sure is."

"Can we go back to the Piyo-chan machine? I'm gonna get another one for Mana; she likes birds."

"No problem. It's over there."

After I got another Piyo-chan plushie, we won't on to play the other machines in the arcade like the race car machine, the dance machine, the basketball machines, and other stuff. We got a little tired but it was a lot of fun! The most intense game that we played was the air hockey; we were hitting the puck really hard!

We leave the arcade after two rounds of air hockey.

"Shouldn't you be buying groceries now?"

I look at my watch. "Wow, time does fly when you're having fun. I should really head for the grocery now. Are you coming too or are you going home? I don't mind if you want to go home."

"I'll go with you; I've got nothing to do for the rest of the day and besides you'll be able to buy more if I'm around to help ya carry the stuff."

"Good idea! I'll be able to buy more groceries with your help! Let's go!" I take his hand and pull him forward. "If we hurry a bit, we'll make it to the sale and I just remembered that I have to buy some more medicine for Mana!"

When I looked back at him for a brief moment as we ran, I think I saw his cheeks having faint tints of pink. I wasn't entirely sure but the thought alone made my heart skip a short beat. I shake my head a little to clear it up. I end up tightening my grip on his hand and pulling him forward even more as I run faster.

"Whoa! Slow down! I'm gonna fall because of you!" He says after tripping a little.

I playfully stick out my tongue at him and keep going forward.

* * *

"We got a lot of food and got to save some money because of the sale! Yay!" I raise three grocery bags in the air.

"I think you got too much." Ranmaru looks at the two grocery bags that he's carrying.

"Can't carry them? I can carry them for you, Ranmaru."

"I can manage."

"Mana and I usually buy about ten grocery bags' worth of food."

"That much?!"

"We don't usually go to the grocery because of work so we just stock up food at home."

"How are the Piyo-chan plushies in your bag? Still alive?"

"Alive and comfy with your lil' Robin! Don't forget to get your teddy bear from me before you go home."

"I won't, I won't."

We keep walking until we reach a park.

"Ranmaru, Ranmaru, can we stop by the park? I want to sit down for a while; my legs are getting tired from walking around all day."

"I was feelin' the same thing. We really walked everwhere."

We find a bench and the moment our butts touch the seat, a great relief overwhelms us.

"Are you feelin' what I'm feelin' right now, Ranmaru?"

"Like your feet ain't there; numb and dead?"

"Just for how long have we been walkin'?"

"I dunno but I think we walked between two cities."

"Damn. What were we thinking?"

"We weren't."

We both laugh.

"That old lady that cut me in line was savage!"

"Yeah. She looked like those troublesome old grannies that'll keep mouthing at you if you try scolding them. Her eyes had evil spirits in them."

"If there was a yakuza group that had old grannies as members, that'll be one scary group. What more if they can kick ass? It gives me the chills. Then imagine them drowning you in their old granny perfume smell and boring you to death with their flashback stories. Then they force feed you some stuff that you question if it's even food."

Ranmaru laughs. "You have an active imagination there."

"But seriously! That's a scary thought now that I think about it more!"

"You can be really unpredictable but fun to be with; that's one of the things about you that made me like you."

He suddenly stops talking; he doesn't say anything for minutes.

"Hey, did a cat catch your tongue? You suddenly stopped talking."

He doesn't say anything and when I look at him, he avoids eye contact.

"Don't be like that. Hmm. Is this about what you said? If it makes you feel better, I like how you're stubborn and fun to be with; I like those things about you. You're a good and fun friend to be with."

He sighs before he finally looks at me. "The thing is…Well, uhm."

"What?"

"I don't like beating around the bush so I'm just gonna say it flat out."

"Well what is it? You're lookin' tense yo." I open a bottle of water that I bought from the supermarket and start to drink from it.

"Emi, I like you as a friend but I think I'm getting to like you more than just that."

I suddenly spit out the water I was drinking and cough a couple of times. "C-C-Could you repeat that? I think I heard it wrong." I think I just had a heart attack.

He groans and then hands me his handkerchief. "You can be such a pain in the butt. I said I like you more than just a friend. You know, I like like you."

"Are you sure about that?!"

He nods shyly.

My heart is dead yo. What the hell is this? I feel like my heart is going to come out of my chest and splatter on the floor.

"I-I, uhm, well…I'm, uh…"

He becomes awkwardly embarrassed as I stutter. Unable to take it anymore, he removes his jacket and throws it at my face and it drapes over my head. I look like I'm wearing a cheap ass ghost Halloween costume but instead of a white bed sheet over my head, it's a black jacket and there're no eye holes.

"Y-You don't have to make a decision now. I didn't plan on tellin' you but it just slipped out. If you really don't feel the same right here right now then just tell me already but if you ain't sure, I'm gonna ask you to think about it."

"Uh. W-What if I don't like you back?"

"Then of course it's gonna hurt a little inside but I'll be fine as longs as we'll still be friends."

"W-What if I like you back?"

"Hmph. Then of course I'll be a happy man."

I lift one side of the jacket that's over me and see him smile while he's looking away. His smile made my heart skip another beat; this could kill me.

"I-Idiot."

"I know." He says.

It becomes awkwardly quiet. After I take out the jacket over me, I hand it to him. He doesn't turn his head my way but instead glances at me with his eyes.

"Put it on; it's getting cold. Your thin sweater ain't gonna protect ya from the evening cold."

"What about you?"

"…I'll be fine."

"O-Okay. Thanks." I put on his jacket and it feels warm. It's big on me but it's comfy.

After a while, he finally looks at me and then he stands up. "C'mon let's go. It's still a little long way to your place. We better start walking if you wanna get home a little earlier."

He picks up the two grocery bags and turns his back on me.

I don't know what to say to him. I wanna say something but I got nothing in mind. He says he likes likes me but I don't know if I like him back that way. I could give it a shot with him I guess. Would that be alright though?

I start to briefly reflect a little on the times I spent with him and to be honest I've enjoy my time with him and all and I'm pretty comfortable with him being around. He can be a pain in the butt and be an idiot sometimes but he's not really a bad person. Besides, he's still here by my side even after everything; he didn't run away.

There's one way to know what I feel about him and I know I'm going to regret it a little but it's worth a shot…I think.

I take a deep breath and call out to him. "Ranmaru!"

He turns around and in an instant I grab hold of his shirt and pull him down to my level. I tightly shut my eyes close and kiss him.

For ten full seconds, our lips touch before I pull away. His face is just paralyzed with utter shock.

In my chest, my heart is screaming like it's about to die. Damn! T-Then this means what it means!

"Y-You!" I say loudly at him with an ambiguous angry tone. "Aside from Yasuko, you're the only other person that's not bothered at all by the fact that I'm targeted by yakuza, was a former member of a yakuza group, is related to the yakuza, and well, uhm, and that I like pineapple on my pizza!"

Shit I think the last thing I said wasn't necessary. It sounded silly.

I take another deep breath. "W-Well Mana is kind of okay with those things but even she's not entirely not bothered by it and still keeps talking about it with me every now and then. I do feel comfortable being around you just as much as I was comfortable with Yasuko and with Mana. I'm even impressed that you haven't left me after the yakuza raid because I really thought you would have distanced yourself from me after that especially when they got into your unit. Y-You don't treat me differently and I'm really grateful for that."

I run out of things to say so I end up awkwardly looking at him. He hasn't said a word since I kissed him and well I don't think his expression of shock has changed either since then. A few minutes later, he starts to talk again.

"Emi, what was tha—"

I stand up and pick up the three grocery bags by my legs.

"Let's go! M-Mana has to drink her medicine soon for the evening; she usually forgets about it because she goes straight to sleep."

I start to walk at a fast pace and I hear his footsteps following me from behind.

"Slow down, Emi! Wait for me!"

"I-If you don't pick up your pace, we'll miss the train. We're riding the train!"

"Oi! Wait up!"

My cheeks feel warm as I walk faster.

* * *

We arrive at my apartment building and put down the groceries that I'm holding. I open my bag and hand over to Ranmaru little Robin.

"Just to be sure that you won't forget Robin. If you're gonna put him with Christopher, can you send me a picture? I wanna see."

"Sure. I'll send a picture when I get home."

I take the grocery bags that he's holding and then pick up the ones I put down.

"I can help you bring those to your unit. You sure you don't want some help?"

"It's fine; I can handle it from here. You should head on home; you've got a long way to go."

"See you around."

I nod. "Yeah. Don't take bananas from strangers, monkey."

He pokes my forehead. "Idiot."

"Ow."

He then kisses the same exact spot that he poked; it was very gentle and warm. He then takes Robin and places its nose on my mouth. "It's really a cute bear." He smiles.

"Wait. Here's your jacket back." I put down all of the groceries and remove the jacket he lent me. "Here you go."

He puts it on and then he puts Robin inside his jacket. Robin's head is sticking out as if it's looking at you.

I chuckle. "That's cute."

He goes on and walks back to the train station and I start picking up the groceries before heading inside the apartment building.

"Mana, Nao, I'm home."

*meowwwww*

"Have you been lookin' after Mana properly?"

*meow*

I put the groceries on the dining table and head into Mana's room.

"What's up, Mana—HOLY BUDDHA WHEN DID WE HAVE A CORPSE IN THE HOUSE?!"

"E…mi…"

"THE CORPSE SPOKE MY NAME!"

A slipper comes flying into my face.

"Now I'm pretty sure it's Mana."

*meow*

"You look terrible but I'm going to ask anyway. How are you?"

"I look horrible but I feel better. I just ran out of water."

"Oh yeah; the water container is empty. I'll refill it for you."

"Were you able to buy groceries?"

"Yeah. I made it to a supermarket during their sale so I got lots of food for a good price."

"Good job." Mana gives me a thumb up from under her blanket.

"There's this good restaurant I discovered from the lifestyle site I always look at. We should go there together when you feel better. I think you'll like the sweet and sour pork."

"I would like to eat some of that soon. Urgh."

"Have you drank your evening medicines?"

"…" Mana slowly covers herself entirely with her blanket.

"Don't you dare go back to sleep yettttt! DRINK YOUR MEDICINES FIRST!"

"I can go on without those. I'll heal I time." Mana says.

I grab one of her medicines which is a syrup type of medicine. "DRINK. YOUR. MEDICINE."

I grab hold of her blanket and swipe it off o her. I get on top of her with the medicine bottle in my right hand and a spoon on my left.

"I can't just take the capsule medicines instead!" She says.

"THE CAPSULES ARE FOR THE MORNING AND ONE IN THE AFTERNOON." I pour medicine on the spoon. "THE SYRUP ONES ARE FOR THE EVENING."

"BUT THEY TASTE HORRIBLE!" Mana tries to struggle but she just ends up looking like a dries octopus squiggling in place.

"DRINK IT." I grab hold of her mouth and shove her medicine in.

*meow*

I quickly take the other two syrup medicines and feed it to her while she's still in shock from the first one.

"And that's the last one. Congratulations, you've drank your medicine. You can go sleep now or something." I say brightly.

Mana is like a twitching dead corpse on her bed. Do the medicines taste that bad? Well she has to drink them until she gets better so she has no choice.

I tuck her back to bed before heading into the bathroom to take a bath. I start filling up the bathtub with warm water.

"Oh, I forgot to give Mana her Piyo-chan plushie. This tub will take some time to fill up so I guess I can leave it alone for a moment."

I quietly enter Mana's room and she's already asleep. I lift her arm a little and put her Piyo-chan plushie in her arms before fixing her blanket again. She'll totally be surprised by it when she wakes up tomorrow hehe. I pat Nao's head as he goes back to sleep beside Mana; he's watching over her really well.

By the time I get back to the bathroom, the bathtub was almost full. The water is not too hot and not too cold; I like this.

"Perfect."

I remove my clothes and get inside the tub. My stab wound from last time healed pretty well and it closed up so I don't really worry about it. Even the scar mark is healing well because of the ointment I use on it.

Having a nice dip in the bathtub really feels much better than a shower. I can stay here for as long as I can take the water temperature and just sit down or lie down relaxed.

"Today was…"

I submerge my head under the water of the bathtub for fifteen seconds before resurfacing.

"An eventful day. A lot of things really happened today and I don't know what to do now."

I suddenly remember what I did to Ranmaru in the park and all those words that I said. I start splashing the water in the tub because of embarrassment.

"What now…?" I make bubbles in the water.

When I kissed him, it felt different. It made me feel fuzzy and stuff inside and…I enjoyed it. I've dated other guys before but, this time, it feels different. I don't know how to put it into words but it's like I have a gut feeling that I'll be in good hands with him.

I groan and lie down in the bathtub. I'm left wondering in my thoughts as I stare at the ceiling. When I closed my eyes, the bathroom door suddenly swung open. I get startled and splash around the tub involuntarily.

"E…mi…"

"M-Mana, you gave me a freakin' heart attack! What do you need?"

She holds out a mug. "Co…ffee…"

"You want some coffee? Sigh. Put your mug at the kitchen counter. I'll just finish up here in the tub and then make you some coffee. You can go back to bed; I'll bring the coffee to you."

"Ok…ay."

She sluggishly leaves the bathroom. It made me smile though to see her holding the Piyo-chan plushie that I got her; I bet she likes it.

I give Mana her coffee and then I went straight into my bedroom.

"Bombs away!" I dive into my bed and hug tightly my new Piyo-chan plushie.

"I'll just do what I always do. I'll think about it tomorrow!"

I turn to my side and wrap myself like a piece of sushi using my blanket. My phone lights up and I check it out; it's a message from Ranmaru.

" _I just got home a few minutes ago. Robin has met Christopher._ "

Attached to the message was a picture of a brown teddy bear sitting beside a green teddy bear. It's a cute picture. As a reply, I take a picture of my Piyo-chan plushie and scribble the words 'Looks great!' in a speechbubble.

I immediately put my cell phone on my side table after sending my reply and went back to bed.

"Piyo-chan, what should I do? Mana and Nao don't know what happened today. Should I even tell Mana about what happened? Hnghhh. I'm going to turn into ground meat. Hnghhh. Now I want to eat hamburger steak. I'll buy one tomorrow for lunch. Hnghhhh."


	24. Chapter 23: Stardust

**Chapter 23: Stardust**

"Emi, what on earth are you doing?"

"Help me, Mana…It's not my fault! It's Nao's fault!"

*meow*

On the floor, I'm tangled and tied up with Nao because he got too excited while we were playing with a ball of yarn. Now we're both stuck together and entangled tightly.

*meow*

"We're supposed to leave in five minutes! What were you doing?! Look at you!"

"I know, I know, I'm an idiot! Now help me out here!"

"Sigh. I'll go get a pair of scissors."

*meow*

"This is your fault, Nao."

*meow*

"Don't 'It's not my fault' me, you little troublemaker."

*meooow*

"No, I am not buying you another ball of yarn ever again."

Mana returns with a pair of scissors and starts cutting away thru the yarn. She's cutting so fast that Nao and I are scared of her cutting us by accident.

"There! You're both free."

Nao rolls on the floor and then stretches his body. I brush off the strings of yarn all over me and pick up my backpack. I give Nao a pat on the head before rushing out with Mana.

"Why is the old man calling for me anyway? Is he going to make me do something odd again? Sighhhh. I don't want tooooooo."

"Saotome actually didn't tell me why he wants you at his office all of a sudden."

"Is he finally going to give me the go signal for my solo concert?!"

"Maybe but knowing the activity schedule of the agency, if he will give you a go signal then the concert itself will be a few months from now; the agency won't be able to prepare and hold it at an early time."

"It's okay, I can definitely wait. As long as the solo concert pushes thru, then I'm contented!"

"Don't give up and don't slack off with your other jobs then. But to be honest, I don't understand why Saotome won't let you have a solo concert until now. With your talent and fan base, it would definitely be successful and profitable."

"Maybe the old man is jealous of my brilliance. I am a genius after all."

"…I'm not sure about that."

"Which one? The part about Saotome jealous of my brilliance or the genius part?"

Mana doesn't say anything as she drives.

"Don't leave me hangin', Mana! Hmph. But seriously though, the old man should stop throwing me into random instant jobs all the time. All he's been doing ever since I appeared as a guest for Ranmaru's concert is to suddenly put me in variety shows and sudden appearances; it's getting annoying to be called out of nowhere all the time."

*beep beep*

I check out my phone and see a notification—it's a message from Ranmaru. We haven't been talking to each other much since... _that_ happened. He also kind of got busy with work because of QN and because he received lots of offers just recently. I'm happy he's getting lots of work but we don't get to hang out or at least eat out after work…but then again I kind of have no balls to meet him and to stay with him for a long time at the moment; I'm not yet over some things.

"HOLY S—!"

Mana suddenly stops the car.

"Are you okay, Emi?!"

"I'm fine! Good thing I always wear the seatbelt."

A long black limo suddenly blocked the road in front us. Mana is hell a ton infuriated at the limo and steps out of the car. She marches straight to the limo with a horrible aura and a clenched fist.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

I can hear Mana's voice clearly from here inside the car even when the windows are closed; that was really loud.

"IF YOU'RE TRYING TO KILL YOURSELF, THEN DO IT YOURSELF WITHOUT HAVING OTHERS DRAGGED INTO YOUR OWN AFFAIRS!" Mana punches the door of the limo and it leaves a deep dent.

"Cool." That's all I could say.

Mana grabs hold of the driver's door and surprisingly it opens. She drags out the driver wearing a suit and starts yelling at him.

"Ms. Rukawa can be scary, no?" a voice from the passenger seat at the back says.

"Yeah, that driver is gonna melt in terror. I can't endure twenty minutes when she's like that at me so what more for that dude? I'm guessing she's going to go at it for hours. I guess I won't be making it to our agency's president's office this time. I'm kind of relieved—WAIT A MINUTE WHO'S THERE?!"

I quickly turn around and see a smiling Saotome sitting comfortably in the backseat.

"Hellooooo, Ms. Nakahara! Good afternoon!"

"How did you get inside the car?!"

"Hahahaha! A magician doesn't reveal his secrets!"

"But you're a former idol! Not a former magician!"

"I am an all around entertainer, Ms. Nakahara! I am capable of various things!"

"Uh if you don't stop Mana now, you're gonna have to look for a new driver." I point over to the limo where Mana is shaking the driver as she continues to lecture him.

"Fear not! That driver of mine will survive; he's a sturdy man. However, you will be late if we don't get you and your manager to the television studio soon."

"Television studio? I'm going to appear on another show again?"

"Yes! It's a show that I'm sure you've heard of."

"What show is it this time—"

Saotome suddenly snaps his finger.

Uh-oh, what's going to happen this time?! Last time he snapped his finger, fireworks suddenly popped in his office and I thought the agency was going to catch on fire!

"Wha?! Kumagai?! What are you doing?!"

Upon hearing Mana's voice, I turn around. I see her wrapped in a straightjacket and she has something like a mask covering her mouth. The driver is sitting on the floor with relief while the man that Mana called 'Kumagai' puts her inside the car.

I quickly unbuckle my seatbelt and step out of our car. "Mana—Whaaa! W-What is this?!" Something was suddenly put over my head; it has eyeholes though.

"That is what you'll be wearing for the show that you will be in today! Keep it on at all times and neeeeever take it off! Don't speak either and do your best to hide your identity from the panel of judges."

"Saotome?! What the hell did you put on my head?!"

"It's a mask. If you must know the design, it's like a galaxy. Oh, I forgot to mention that your contestant name in the show is 'Stardust'. They will refer to you by that name so don'ttttt forget! The clothes that you need to wear will be in your dressing room."

He snaps his finger again and two men in suits appear. They carry me up and put me into Saotome's limo.

"Gooodddd luckkkk!" Saotome says as he waves goodbye to the limo as it zooms away.

Mana is here beside me at the back passenger seat. She looks like a caterpillar as she wiggles around, trying to get out of the straightjacket they put her in. She glares at me as she angrily wiggles around. I think she's trying to tell me to try removing the straightjacket.

"Is it even possible to remove this?! The knots are so tight and they're tied like twice or thrice?! Mana, I think you're gonna be stuck in this for forever!"

She wiggles even more and angrily looks at the person sitting on the front passenger seat.

"Hey, you're Kumagai right?"

"Y-Yes, I am." He says without looking back.

"You're Mana's friend, right? How about helping her here?"

"I apologize because I can't do that right now. We both may be friends but I work under Saotome as his secretary. If I disobey or meddle with his plans, I'll get punished; I'll be lucky if he would just fire me already."

Mana wriggles around even more.

"You are so gonna be dead when she gets out of this thing."

Kumagai sighs deeply. "I am very sure of that. I should enjoy the little time I have left to live before Madoka tortures me when she's set free."

I lean back on my seat and remember the thing that's on my head—this mask. I try to reach the back of the mask to look for the straps or velcro or whatever is the lock of this thing but I can't find it at all. I can't pull the mask off of my head; it's not going to work because my head won't be able to go thru the mask's neck hole.

"Sigh. Oi Kumagai, 'Masked Singers'; is that the show that Saotome's throwing me into this time?"

"You are correct."

"Sigh, knew it! Why else would he put this thing on my head?! Hey, do you have a mirror or something? I want to see what my mask looks like."

"I could take your picture instead with your cell phone so that you can see how your mask looks like."

"Good idea! Here. Take a good shot at me!" I strike a peace pose and he snaps it.

The moment he hands over my phone back, I smile. I look pretty good.

"The mask is well made! I like the colors and the design 'cause it really looks like stardust from space."

"To hear that makes me really happy inside." Kumagai says. "Saotome told me to make a mask overnight all of a sudden while I was enjoying my favorite television show. I ended up sleeping late because of that mask and my living room was invaded by glitters."

"Oh. I hope you'll be able to clear out the glitter in your living room; glitters are evil little shits. Seriously though, the mask looks good! I'll make sure it'll get lots of screen time in the show!"

"Thank you very much. If I can't get rid of the glitter in my living room, I am considering moving to a new home; it's everywhere!"

"That's kind of extreme….Just how much glitter did you use?"

"…A lot…Plenty."

Mana angrily wiggles around again while making scary muffled sounds.

"I'm a dead man…" Kumagai says. He continues to mumble that as he knits something that looks like a scarf or blanket I think.

About an hour and a half passes by and we find ourselves at the back of the television studio where Masked Singers is held. Right after Kumagai tells the floor manager who I was, I got dragged straight into my dressing room and they helped me get ready for the show.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO DO. Thank Buddha that I watch this show so I at least know what I should do as a performer. DO I JUST REALLY SING AND THAT'S IT?! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I WAS MADE TO CHOOSE A SONG LINE UPON THE SPOT FOR THIS SHOW. Damn this spontaneous job thingy; SAOTOME I WOULD HAVE SHAKEN YOU UP OVER MY ODD JOBS IF YOU WEREN'T THE COMPANY PRESIDENTTTTTT!

* * *

"Good afternoon to all of you lovelies! Tsukimiya Ringo here and today is another day where we see who will reign among the faceless voices! We'll see another set of contenders who aspire to be the king or queen of masked singers!"

The audience clap their hands.

"Today, we're going to have two handsome lads over to join our panel of judges today! Isn't that exciting, everyone? I'm pretty sure you know these two as they are members of an idol group loved by many if not all! Let's give the two a warm welcome!"

As the two guests enter the stage, the crowd cheers in surprise and joy.

"Hello there my ladies and my gentlemen!" Jinguuji says in a lively tone.

"It's a pleasure to be here with you all." Hijirikawa says. "Let's all have fun, shall we?"

"You two are charming as ever! Now why don't you two go sit over there with all the other judges and let's have this program started?!" Tsukimiya twirls around and shines brightly on stage. "I've been told that today's contestants are all special talented individuals that will battle one another to be king or queen of masked singers for today!"

The audience start to mumble to one another.

"Now, now, settle down everyone. I know that our winning contender usually stays in the show until he or she is defeated but our special guests today won't be able to stay in the show for a long period of time due to their work schedules. Let's just enjoy their presence for the day and have them steal our hearts with the power of music!"

The crowd cheers as Tsukimiya looks at the cue card he's holding.

"For today's first round, we have two challengers from the beautiful galaxy! Let's all give a round of applause to Stardust and LunaTick!"

Hearing my contestant name, I enter the stage from the right side. The other contestant, LunaTick, enters from the left side of the stage; his or her costume has a big crescent moon as a head…it looks heavy.

"As always, there will be three rounds per match. On the first round, our two competitors will sing the same song together. In the second round and third round, each of them will be given the opportunity to sing a solo song of their choice and the panel of judges and the audience will vote on which contestant shall move forward! The competitor that loses shall reveal his or her identity upon being eliminated." Tsukimiya looks at his cue card. "The duet song for the first round between Stardust and LunaTick is—Renegade by Stereo Dive Foundation! This is quite a powerful song to start of today's episode! I'm excited! I'll leave the floor now to start the sing off. Masked singers, go!"

The lights dim as Tsukimiya leaves the stage. LunaTick and I step forward with our microphones firmly in our hands. The lights suddenly blast open the moment the song begins and LunaTick catches the first line of the song perfectly.

" _Sagesumasareta ressei kakusu_ "

I quickly pick up the second line of the song. " _Yue koko ni tatsu imi wo motsu_ "

We take turns for the next two lines and on the last line of the song, we sing out loud the line together. " _I wanna renegade down_ "

The audience and panel of judges become surprised by the power that our voices had. LunaTick and I continue to sing our hearts out towards both the audience and to one another. I've got to admit, whoever LunaTick is, he's pretty good but I won't back down or lose!

The song ends and the audience get up on their feet as their clap their hands and cheer.

"My, my, my! It's only the first round of the first match and we've gotten shaken up by these two!" Tsukimiya says.

"Their vocals were very powerful; they were able to match up the song's energy." Hijirikawa says.

"My whole body had goosebumps as they sang. Until now, I'm still shaking inside!" Jinguuji says.

LunaTick and I look at each other and bump our fists in joy.

"Next up is LunaTick's solo performance. Sit back and enjoy everyone!" Tsukimiya says as the lights in the studio changes.

A guitar intro plays and I immediately know the song that he's going to sing.

" _YO! SAY, natsu ga mune wo shigeki suru. Nama ashi miwaku no maameido._ "

It's T.M. Revolution's Hot Limit; it was such a hit back in the day and until now people still sing this song from time to time.

"What a wonderful performance! LunaTick definitely kept the energy going!" Tsukimiya says.

"It will take a lot of effort for Stardust to take over." Jinguuji says. "We have to be blown away for the second time." He chuckles.

"We'll soon find out which of the two will outdo the other." Hijirikawa says with a nod.

LunaTick steps back and gives the center stage to me.

"Stardust will be singing a song filled with power too! The song will be—Beyond the Limit by OSIRIS." Tsukimiya says.

The moment that the white laser lights shoot up, the intro of the song I chose plays heavily.

So that I can hide my identity further and make it difficult for people to guess who I am, I decide to sing with a deeper voice so that I won't sound like the usual. " _Itsukara konna ni mo shita bakari miteita no ka_ "

My song ends with a bang and the loud cheers of the audience can tell you already who had won this match.

"Oh! That was amazing! I have nothing to say!" Tsukimiya says.

"It makes me wonder if Stardust is a woman or a man; her tone was peculiar. Either way, I was completely blown away!" Jinguuji says.

"The way the high notes were executed was undeniably amazing!" Hijirikawa says.

"We have heard the powerful voices of LunaTick and Stardust! Now it's time to vote on who moves forward! Ladies and gentlemen, voting starts…now!" Tsukimiya says.

After a few minutes, the huge screen that's at the back of the stage lights up and starts showing numbers randomly flashing.

"Voting time has ended! Let's see who our winner for this match is!" Tsukimiya says.

Slowly, the numbers slow down to show the final count of votes.

"With a winning vote of 135 against 115, the winner is…Stardust!" Tsukimiya says. "Congratulations!"

I offer a hand shake to LunaTick before he performs his goodbye song and to reveal his identity. Since I won, I'll have to wait for the third match because there's going to be one match first that will be next to decide who'll go against who in for the third and final match.

I head to the backstage area and rest for a while.

The next match was between two contenders—Cupcake and Piyo Man. Based on what I can hear from here in the backstage, Piyo Man is wearing a Piyo-chan costume. I want to take a peek and see huhu but I'll be seen if I stick my head out huhu. I'll just have to wish that Piyo Man will win so that I'll see him in the next match!

The songs that Cupcake and Piyo Man sang were interesting. For the duet, they sang Flyers by BRADIO, Piyo Man sang Episode 0 by GACKT, and Cupcake sang Golden Time Lover by Sukima Switch. In the end, Piyo Man won and it made me feel happy and excited 'cause that means I get to see him in the next round!

"This is it everyone! The final match for today will be between Piyo Man and Stardust!"

The moment I get on stage and see Piyo Man, I froze. IT'S SO ADORABLE. HE'S WEARING A PIYO-CHAN MASCOT. Sure he's taller than the real Piyo-chan but the costume is just adorable! I subconsciously approach him and suddenly hug him. Everyone in the studio laughs.

"Oh my! Stardust, are you perhaps a fan of Piyo-chan?" Tsukimiya asks.

I nod in response since I can't talk.

"How cute. I understand your urge to hug him because his costume is so cute, yes? Piyo-chan is such a lovely character after all who is loved by many!"

I flash a thumb up and everyone chuckles.

"Alright! For round one, the duet song will be Unravel by TK. Masked singers, go!"

This song is quite difficult and high but I'm pretty sure that I can do it perfectly. I'll catch them off thru the chorus hehe.

" _Oshiete yo Oshiete yo sono shikumi wo boku nonaka ni dare ga iru no?_ "

I kept my bar high and when the chorus came, I pushed the bar even higher than before. Piyo Man was able to keep up but he was definitely near his limit. He survived the song and the second round starts immediately.

"Solo performance song of Piyo Man is a big hit song from a great idol from Shining Agency—Daylight Breakout by Eika!" Tsukimiya says.

I can't believe another singer is singing my song in a show like this; it makes me feel proud inside hehe. Having my songs covered by other artists is surreal; just knowing that my songs have grown so popular makes all the hard work I've put into them seem like it was just yesterday.

Piyo Man does a great job and once he finishes, everyone stood up on their feetHe was praised with very positive comments! Even I want to say how good he was! His voice is strong and firm but at the same time it gives off a hint of gentleness that helps convey the message or story of the songs he sings.

It was then my turn to sing once the audience and judges settled down.

"The final song for tonight is Stardust's solo performance. The song that our promising contender chose is—Orion de Shout Out by Starish's Natsuki Shinomiya!"

"Oh? Stardust will sing our Shinomii's song? This is interesting." Jinguuji says.

"Shinomiya's songs are quite hard to sing; I hope that Stardust can perform it well." Hijirikawa says in a positive tone.

I pour out my voice and energy into this song because I think that the song's message is quite good and in a certain degree, I can relate. When the song ends, the studio was completely silent. No one stood up, no one clapped his or her hands—no one said or did anything.

A minute has passed and I still got no reaction from anyone. I start to panic a little so I start fidgeting and looking around everywhere.

Did I do something wrong? Maybe I performed badly or weirdly? WHY IS EVERYONE FREAKIN' QUIET?! MANA, KIDNAP ME NOW PLEASE.

Piyo Man suddenly lunges towards me and we fall onto the floor. I try to get him off of me but it seems he can't get up because of his costume and I can't push him off because he's heavy!

The crowd suddenly bursts into cheers and howling; everyone is standing on their feet—even the panel of judges are behaving the same way.

"It was such an amazing performance that I have no words to describe it! Amazing is an understatement!" Hijirikawa says.

"It was over the top but in a really good way! Whaaa! My whole body is trembling in awe!" Tsukimiya says as he rushes over to the stage and jumps onto Piyo Man, crushing me further at the bottom. He starts to help both Piyo Man and I to stand up after a few minutes.

"I was definitely completely blown away! My mind just went blank right after the performance! And I can't stop myself from standing up at the moment I became conscious of my surroundings again!" Jinguuji says.

"It's time to cast your votes, everyone! Voting starts…now!" Tsukimiya says as he twirls on stage.

As the voting period comes to an end, the monitor starts to count the votes once again. It hints that both Piyo Man and I have at least a hundred votes; the tension rises as we all wait for the monitor to reveal the last two digits of our votes.

"With a score of 125 against 124, the winner is…" Tsukimiya grabs the arm of the winner and pulls it high up into the air. "Stardust!"

"It seems one person couldn't decide on whom to vote for during the voting period." Hijirikawa says with a chuckle.

"Yeah. It would have been interesting if this match ended in a tie." Jinguuji says. "I wouldn't mind having one more round of their performance!"

"Since both of our contenders won't be appearing on the next episode, they will both reveal their identities! Are you all excited to know who these two talented singers are? I have been wrecking my brain the whole time just to figure out who they are! Since Piyo Man lost this match, he'll reveal himself first. Piyo Man, shall you show us your true face?" Tsukimiya gives the center stage to Piyo Man and stands beside me.

Piyo Man waves his arm at everyone first and then he reaches for his head—Wait. Wait a minute; he can't reach his head because the Piyo-chan mascot has short arms. Everyone starts to laugh as they realize the problem that he has.

"My, my, my, it seems your costume's arms are too short to reach your head. It's no wonder the staff gave you a lapel microphone. Here, let me help you." Tsukimiya says as he holds Piyo Man's head. "Ready? One…two…three…Ta-dah!"

The moment that Tsukimiya pulls off the head piece of Piyo Man's costume, a lot of women in the audience shout in surprise.

Piyo Man borrows Tsukimiya's microphone and says, "Hello everyone! I'm Shinomiya Natsuki of Starish! It was fun to be in this show; I hope my performance didn't let you down! I had a lot of fun today; I hope that I'd get to come back to this show some other time."

"What do you know? Piyo Man was Shinomii all this time!" Jinguuji says.

"I somewhat had the feeling it was him." Hijirikawa says. "His height gave me an idea on who he was."

I clap my hands in order to express my surprise and admiration towards him.

Shinomiya returns the microphone to Tsukimiya. "Now, it's time to know who our champion of the day's true identity! In all honesty, I really have no idea who could this person be! I'm really excited to know who Stardust is!"

I step forward to the center and the lights in the studio become dim. In the darkness, I remove my mask; it's a good thing that Kumagai told me how to take this thing off before the first match started. Once my mask was off, the lights suddenly become bright.

"What's up, guys? I flash a peace sign at the audience. "Eika here, I hope I was able to blast you all away into the sky! Did you all have fun?"

"OH MY GOD, YOU WERE STARDUST?!" Tsukimiya asks in surprise.

"It was hard to guess that it was me, right? I sang a little different to make things interesting hehe."

"You really did make it hard to figure out your identity!" Hijirikawa says. "I believe only a handful of people guessed that it was you."

"I'm quite relieved to know that Stardust was actually a woman; I started to doubt myself for a moment!" Jinguuji says. "She did an excellent job!"

The crowd was restless and lively. I kept waving back at them as much as I could.

"It was fun to perform on stage with you today. I had a lot of fun! Thank you for your hard work, Eika-chan." Shinomiya says to me.

"I had loads of fun too! You have talent; I look forward to seeing how far you can go in this industry. Thanks a lot too for your hard work. I hope I can get the opportunity to work with ya in the future!"

"I hope so too, Eika-chan!"

We sang one last song together before the show ends. I really really had fun in this show; I hope I can come back again.

We all headed back into our dressing rooms to get changed and to get ourselves refreshed. Upon opening the door to my dressing room, a large cocoon lies on the floor.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" H-Have aliens finally come to earth?!

The cocoon wriggles a little and turns over to face me.

"OH NO! IT'S EVEN WORSE THAN I THOUGHT!" They've found a way to clone M-Mana?! Or…IS MANA AN ALIEN?!

"Get me out off this darn thing!" She says loudly in an angry voice.

"Y-Yes ma'am!"

The knots and straps of the straightjacket were hard to remove but with some effort, I was able to free Mana.

"Mana, you're free! Go and roam freely without taking over the world or killing off the human race or enslaving humanity for the rest of your reign as—"

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU, KUMAGAI! I CAN'T WAIT TO HAVE YOUR BLOOD IN MY HANDS!"

After that quick outburst, Mana runs out into the hallway. I never thought I'd feel the need to be really religious to spare someone else's life. Good luck to you, Kumagai-san. May Buddha and all other religious entities out there save you from Mana.

It didn't take me long to change into my normal clothes and since I couldn't get hold of Mana, I decided to walk around the place for a while.

"Eika-chan!"

I turn around and see Shinomiya coming towards me.

"Oh hey! Good job out there today. I really meant what I said."

"I did too! Eika-chan, I'm glad that I was able to find you because I wanted to ask you a question."

"Fire away, boy."

"Are you a fan of Piyo-chan?"

My eyes suddenly sparkle. "I definitely am!"

"Wha! So am I! I've been a fan since forever!"

"Really?! Oh my gosh, I've finally found someone that I can talk about Piyo-chan with! I knew that we were on the same wavelength the moment I heard your masked singer alias and all the more when I saw your costume!"

"It's so rare to find someone who likes Piyo-chan as much as I do so I am also happy to have found a fellow fan! I would like to become good friends with you, Eika-chan!"

"Shinomiya-kun, so do I. Shall we exchange contact info?" I ask in a serious tone.

He immediately takes out his phone. "Yes! That would be a great idea! Did you know that there's going to be a pop-up shop opening next week in Ikebukuro and it will run for about two months; they're going to sell merchandise of Piyo-chan and his friends! Would you like to go together?"

"They're going to sell Piyo-chan, Penguin, and Onpukun?! I'll go with you! If we get the same day off, let's go! Oh and feel free to message me any time. If I ain't answering then it means I'm either asleep or at work but I do reply once I'm free."

"I will remember that, Eika-chan. Please feel free to call me Natsuki or any nickname you'd like."

"Then can I call you Nacchan? I think that would suit ya."

"Yes, that's fine!"

"You two seem to be getting along." A voice says.

Nacchan and I turn around and see Jinguuji and Hijirikawa.

"Ren-kun, Masato-kun, are we heading back to the agency?" Nacchan asks them.

"Not yet. The staff has invited us to eat out for dinner and we accepted the invitation. We told them that you'll be coming with us since Jinguuji and I assumed that you'd be coming. Is that alright with you?" Hijirikawa says.

"It's okay. I would have accepted the invitation!"

"Would you like to join us, Ms. Stardust?" Jinguuji asks me.

"Sure, I'll come too!"

"You were amazing today, Ms. Stardust. You definitely were out of this world."

"That was nothing. You're giving me too much credit hehe. Nacchan did a really good job too so you should praise him too!"

"I am honored to have been able to watch you live, Eika-san. I hope that we'd be able to meet again in the future and luckily work together as well." Hijirikawa says.

"Eika."

I turn around and see Mana. She's back to her normal, calm and collected self. Thank god.

"Are you going to join them for dinner? I heard that the staff invited everyone."

"Yeah, I'll be going. Will you be able to go too, Mana?"

"Sadly I can't stay for the dinner since I'll have to submit the paperwork for today's job and I have to claim my car because it got towed away; Saotome left my car in the middle of the road where he kidnapped us! I'm making him pay for my fines! There's no way that I am going to shell out any money for something that's not my fault!"

"Okay, okay, calm down! You're getting tense again! We can't have you murdering someone especially the agency's president. Besides, I'm not ready to be an accomplice for murder yet!"

Mana takes a deep breath and I give her a pat on the back.

"Eika-san can ride with Jinguuji, Shinomiya, and I to the restaurant so that you can get your work done earlier if that will be okay with you, Rukawa-san." Hijirikawa says. "The staff will be using one of their vans to give a ride to those without a car or so."

"That would be convenient. I'll leave her to you three then. All of you take care, okay?"

We all nod.

Once Mana left, Jinguuji puts his arm over my shoulders. "Ms. Stardust, I saw you exchanging numbers with Shinomii and I felt a little envious. Won't you exchange numbers with me as well?"

"Eh? Uh, sure. I don't mind."

While I was putting my contact info in his cell phone, Hijirikawa grabs his collar from behind.

"Ack! Hijirikawa!"

"Jinguuji, behave."

"I know, I know! Don't treat me like a dog. How could you? Hmph."

"You two are quite close, huh?" I say as I give back Jinguuji's phone.

"Masato-kun and Ren-kun are childhood friends. They fight a little sometimes but I think that's just the way they are and shows just how close they are too." Nacchan says.

"We are not close." Hijirikawa says as he crosses his arms.

"Hijirikawa is too stiff; he won't play around at my pace so things get boring easily." Jinguuji says as he shrugs.

"Ah, I see. These two do get along well. How cute."

Nacchan nods at my remark.

We board the van and arrive at a restaurant that serves as a pub too.

"This place looks good." I say. "I hope they've got some good desserts hehe."

"Do you like sweets?" Hijirikawa asks.

"I do especially ice cream and pudding."

"Such a cute taste for someone like you." Jinguuji says.

"How can ya resist those two sweets? They're really good!" As we get inside, I ask Nacchan, "Where are we gonna be seated?"

"One of the staff members said that we're all going to eat in one of the function rooms since we're a lot of people."

"Hm? It seems that there are staff members from another studio." Hijirikawa says.

"I think they're friends and previous colleagues of the director of Masked Singers." Nacchan says. "The director probably invited them to join us for dinner too."

"Well, they say the more the merrier right?"

"Hijirikawa, look at who's here too." Jinguuji points at a person.

"It's Kurosaki-senpai. Let's go over to say hi."

Jinguuji goes off with Hijirikawa.

"Where are those two going off to?"

"I don't know; maybe they saw someone they know."

"Oi! What are you two doing standing around? Come! Take a seat before all the seats get taken!"

The staff member pushes me and Nacchan further down the room until he finds us a pair of vacant seats. "Ah! Lucky us! Here you go, guys! Take a seat and don't be shy; eat and drink as much as you want!"

"Wait a minute, drink?! Nacchan, you ain't 21 yet right? You can't drink, you got that?!"

"Don't worry, Eika-chan. I don't have any interest in alcohol so I'll just probably keep eating."

"Where's Hijirikawa and Jinguuji?! Those two aren't 21 yet either, right?! There's no way I'm gonna let them drink!"

"I'm sure they'll be responsible so don't worry. Let's just believe in them."

I sigh.

"Do you drink, Eika-chan?"

"Well, I can drink and I do know how to drink but I don't really like alcohol. If I can avoid it, I avoid it."

Just like the words of the staff member from a while ago, the seats were slowly getting taken one by one.

"Masato-kun, Ren-kun! Where did you two go? Eika-chan and I were wondering where you both went." Nacchan says.

"We're sorry if we suddenly ran off." Hijirikawa says as he sits down on front of Nacchan.

Jinguuji then arrives and skips the seat beside HIjirikawa. "He's going to sit with us so I'll sit over here."

"Senpai agreed to join us?" Hijirikawa asks.

"He did. Oh, Ran-chan! We're over here!" He says as he waves at someone.

"Who are they talkin' about?" I ask Nacchan.

"I think they saw their senpai that's why they ran off. It's a surprise that he's here though! Masato-kun, Ren-kun, and Ran-kun are childhood friends and well, to their surprise, Ran-kun became their mentor when we were assigned mentors by Saotome before."

A man suddenly sits down between Hijirikawa and Jinguuji. "I told you two that we should have gotten seats earlier. We're lucky we even got seats; some of the staff started sitting on the floor. They keep inviting so many people that we never fit everyone in one room—"

"Ranmaru?"

"Huh? Emi?"

"What are you doing here?" We both say to each other.

"Aren't unexpected meetings exciting in a way?" Nacchan says. "Ran-kun here is Masato-kun and Ren-kun's senpai and mentor from before."

"Eika-san, you know Kurosaki-senpai?" Hijirikawa asks. "Oh wait, you are both in a unit; am I correct?"

"Yeah, we work together in a unit made by Saotome."

"Such a small world it is in this industry of ours." Jinguuji says. "I wish I could have met you earlier, Ms. Stardust. We would have had so much fun together. Why don't we start making some good memories now—"

"Cut it out, you flirt." Ranmaru says as he lightly hits Jinguuji's head.

"Ack! I got scolded." Jinguuji says playfully.

One of the staff members stands up and talks loudly. "Eat as much as you can and drink 'til you drop! Don't be shy and enjoy yourselves!"

Several waiters enter the room and start to fill the tables with food and drinks. Wherever I looked, there was food.

"Eika-chan, this one tastes good!"

"Really? Let me try one." I grab a piece of chicken from the dish that Nacchan was pointing at. "Uhmp! This is really good! Hey, hey, what's that one?"

"That one is beef with a sweet and salty sauce. That one over there is pork with sesame sauce; it's good too. They also have marlin fish."

"So many choices…I don't know which one to eat first."

"How about I get you a piece of each dish so that you can eat them all?"

"Could you?! Thanks, Nacchan!" I give him my plate. "Fill it up nicely please! Put as much as you can!"

"I've got you covered, Eika-chan!"

Ranmaru suddenly slams down the mug he was drinking from with an expressionless face.

"Are you okay, Ran-chan?" Jinguuji asks him cautiously with a wry laugh.

"Thanks! Whaaa! Look at all this food! I must be in heaven knowing that it's free!" I say to Nacchan.

"You have quite an appetite, Eika-san." Hijirikawa chuckles. "Be careful not to choke on your food."

"I won't!"

I take out my phone and take a picture of the food on my plate.

"Hm. Nacchan, let's have a picture together. I'm going to post about today on my social media accounts."

"Sure! Please add me too so that we can contact each other online as well!"

Nacchan and I take a picture together with a peace sign and food.

"I'll add you later when I get home since I don't have mobile wifi."

"Sure! This is my account name."

"This one is mine."

"You two are leaving us in the air over here." Jinguuji says. "How cruel of you two~"

"Ah, sorry sorry! How about we have a group picture?"

"That's a good idea." Hijirikawa says.

"Alright, let me just try to capture everyone in the frame." I stretch my arm as far as I can but I still can't fit everyone into the picture. "Curse my vertical problems!"

"Give me your phone." Ranmaru says.

I give it to him and he takes the picture. Once he gives me back my phone, I check the picture out and it's really good.

"Thanks Ranmaru, the picture is good."

"Whatever. If you want another pic, just tell me. I'll take it for ya."

"Okay!"

"Ms. Stardust, please add me as well." Jinguuji gives me a piece of paper. "I also put Hijirikawa's account name."

"I'll add you all later! I'll even tag you guys on the pictures I'll post."

The evening goes by with everyone having fun but Ranmaru seems a little irritated; maybe he doesn't really like big gatherings like this. Seeing him interact with Hijirikawa and Jinguuji is quite refreshing; his guard is lower with them.

"Listen up everyone! We're gonna have a game!" One of the staff members says as he waves a box in the air. "We've decided to have a drinking game! We'll have eight people to participate and we'll decide on them thru a raffle draw! I've got your names all in this box here hehehe."

"Why on earth would they think of having a drinking game? Does everyone want to destroy their kidney or something? Sigh." I say as I eat a spoonful of my food.

"Eika-chan, you're getting a little messy from eating so much. Haha." Nacchan then takes a tissue and wipes my mouth. "You should slow down a little."

"Thanks and sorry! The food just tastes so good that I can't resist and I'm a little tired from participating in Masked Singer today."

A cold shiver goes down thru my spine and when I look on front of me, I see Ranmaru looking at me with sharp eyes. He looks away after a few seconds.

What's up with that?!

"Kubata, Inoue, Hijirikawa, Kurosaki, Gorou, Hong, Eika, and Shigeru—you guys have been chosen to participate in the drinking game!"

"H-Huh?! Wai—"

"I-I can't participate in this game! I'm not in the legal age of drinking yet!" Hijirikawa says.

"It's okay! No one will know since it's just us here!" A staff member says to him.

"No! Wait!" Hijirikawa ends up being dragged away.

Altogether, we were picked up by some of the staff members and we were made to sit at one table. On front of us were big bottles of alcohol.

"The rule of this game is simple! Last one standing—wins! There are ten large bottles per person. You win if everyone else surrenders or faints or if you finish the ten bottles first. Good luck out drinking your opponents!"

"What's the prize for winning?" I ask. "There has to be a prize for this, right?"

"That's a secret for now but I guarantee you that it's going to be worth it!"

This guy better not be bullshitting me. I don't like drinking.

"Cups ready? Start chugging it all down in three…two…one…Drink!"

All eight of us drank our first cup altogether. The other people in the room started placing bets at who will win. I call out to Nacchan and Jinguuji.

"Hey guys, bet on me. Like no joke; bet on me with all you've got."

"Are you sure about that, Eika-chan?"

"Yeah. This is a piece of cake for me, Nacchan. Trust me on this; I've got this covered."

"We'll bet on you then, Ms. Stardust. We'll divide the award among us five or use the funds for our next get together."

I nod with a confident smile.

The staff member who thought of this game ties his necktie on his head and uses his folding fan as a microphone. "As expected, Gorou is down after two cups! He has always been weak against alcohol!"

I'm a little worried about Hijirikawa though. Can he handle alcohol? He looks like the type who'd get drunk easily.

"Hong is down! Poor girl, I hope she won't have a bad hangover!"

That was quick. Then again, the alcohol they're making us drink is a strong one. Hm, that makes six of us left now.

"Shigeru is down after finishing three bottles!"

"Hijirikawa has fallen after four bottles!"

He finally went down; he lasted longer than I expected. I wish they'd all just surrender or something but I'm pretty sure that out of the other participants, Ranmaru will out drink them—

"Kubata and Inoue are down after starting their sixth bottle! Now it's just Kurosaki and Eika left! Who will be the last one drinking or the first one to finish their tenth bottle?"

Everyone watches us intently. I look over at Ranmaru and I see him chugging down the alcohol one cup after the other. His pace isn't good; he'll end up getting drunk faster that way. What is he thinking?

"Looks like both of them are on their last bottle! Who will win?!"

"Damn it! Let's just get this over with already!" I hastily remove the seal of my tenth bottle and chug down everything without a break. Once I put down the bottle on the table, Ranmaru passes out.

"Ranmaru, you okay? Hey Ran—"

"The winner is Eika! The way she finished off that last bottle was admirable!"

While everyone was cheering on and celebrating, I immediately went over to Ranmaru who was out cold on the floor.

"Ranmaru, hey, are you okay?" I shake him up a bit. "Ranmaru? This ain't a funny joke if it is one! Hey, get up!"

He finally budges and lies flat on his back. "I feel terrible…"

"Don't lie down like that! C'mon, sit up!"

"It looks like he's been hit by the alcohol just like Hijirikawa." Jinguuji says. "Shinomii and I will be bringing Hijirikawa back to our dorm; we won't be able to help you with Ran-chan though. Will it be okay if you could bring him back to his place? I have a feeling that you know where he lives and I do trust you more than the other people here; you're sober too."

I look at Ranmaru and then back to Jinguuji. "I don't mind bringing him back to his place. Will you three be alright? Make sure that Hijirikawa is taken care of when you three get to your dorm."

"We'll be fine. You take care too, Ms. Stardust; we'll leave Ran-chan to you."

I nod at him and he goes over to Nacchan to help carry Hijirikawa up on his feet. I, on the other hand, take Ranmaru's arm and put it over my shoulder and lift him up.

"I don't know if you're completely out or not but I really hope that you can help me carry yourself until we get a taxi. Sigh."

I carry him out to the front of the restaurant after Nacchan hands me my bag and Ranmaru's cell phone which we left at our seats earlier.

"I know it's a hard request but try not to fall asleep, okay? As much as possible, stay awake 'til we get you home."

He groans as he covers his mouth.

"A-Are you gonna vomit?!"

He shakes his head.

"You sure?"

He nods.

I spot a taxi coming our way and immediately wave my hand. It stops on front of Ranmaru and I and we both get inside. After telling the taxi driver the address, I open my bag and take out my water bottle.

"Here, drink some water to rehydrate yourself from all the alcohol ya drank. If you really want to vomit, tell me; I don't wanna be the one to catch your vomit when it comes."

"I…don't wanna drink anythin'."

"Well you have to. Now drink it."

He tries to drink from my water bottle but ends up missing his mouth and spilling some of the water on him.

"Urgh, you're a mess!" I say to him. "Here, I'll help you. Just don't spill any more of the water."

I guide his hands that hold the water bottle and guide the bottle's opening to his mouth. He said that he wasn't thirsty but he's drinking half of the water already. I send a message to Mana telling her where I was headed.

"Your friend looks wasted, ma'am. Is he going to be okay?" the taxi driver says with concern.

"He'll be fine. Idiots don't die easily." I say jokingly.

"I'm not…an idiot, idiot." He says weakly as he leans on my left shoulder.

"What did he drink to be like that if you don't mind me asking, ma'am." The taxi driver says.

"Our co-workers invited us for dinner and then they suddenly thought a drinking game where each person participating is given ten bottles of 1.8L alcohol was a good idea."

"Oh dear, that sounds like a difficult game. Did your friend win?"

"Nope, he stopped on his nineth bottle. The one who won was me; I was able to finish until my last bottle. I feel sorry for the others who took part in the game; they got wasted."

"You can surely handle alcohol then! That's quite a surprise as not many women can drink that much!"

"Heh. That's true. The one who taught me to drink was my aunt and she can drink way more than I can! That aunt of mine is incredible!"

We arrive at Ranmaru's apartment building after a while and I bring him up all the way to his unit. He hands me his keys and we go inside.

"How are ya feelin'? Any better?" I ask as I help him sit down on the couch. I remove his jacket and shoes.

He leans back on the couch and stares at the ceiling without a word.

Worried about him, I place my hand on his forehead. He's not cold so that's a good thing. He's warm but it's probably because of the alcohol.

"You should take a shower so that you'll feel better when you wake up. Make sure that the water is warm; don't take a cold shower. I'll make you some scrambled eggs and miso soup. If you won't eat them now, I'll store them in the fridge so that you can just heat 'em up when you wake up. They're good for hangovers."

He suddenly grabs my arm when I take my hand away.

"You can just…go home. You don't have to do anything…more." He says.

"It's not like I can leave you like this. What kind of friend would I be to leave you like this?" I retract my arm from him. "Go on, get yourself cleaned up and change into some more comfortable clothes."

He sighs.

I pat his head. "Go on."

He slowly gets up and makes his way to the bathroom after getting a change of clothes.

"The eggs should be in the fridge and then for the soup, I'll need…" I start cooking the miso soup and scrambled eggs.

Maybe I should buy him some medicine just in case he won't feel well tomorrow? He might get a stomach ache or headache later.

I continue to think about it while cooking. Once all of the foods were cooked, I turn off the heat and put the food in containers and into the fridge; I doubt he's going to eat after his shower. I look at the clock after washing the dishes.

"Does he take this long to take a bath?"

I head over to the bathroom door and knock loudly.

"Ranmaru, are you okay in there? I finished cooking the food already."

He doesn't answer back.

"Ranmaru?!" I knock even louder. "Are you okay?!"

He doesn't answer and all I can hear is the running water of the shower. I open the door and see him on the floor, under the shower with his clothes still on.

"Ranmaru, are you okay?!"

I immediately rush over to him. When I got under the shower, the water was cold; I quickly close the shower and turn to Ranmaru.

"I told you to take a warm shower! What were you thinkin'?! A cold shower will make you feel worse! And why did you get in the shower with your clothes on?! You're going to get yourself sick this wa—"

He suddenly puts his finger against my mouth.

"I get it…already…I'm sorr…y…" His finger slowly slips down until his hand falls to the floor.

"Ranmaru?" He's not so responsive again.

I quickly fetch a towel and start to dry his hair and face. I then remove his shirt and dry his torso.

"Alright, up you go."

Slowly, I get him up on his feet and have him lean against the wall.

I take a long deep sigh. "You're helping a friend. You're helping a friend. Just don't think too much about it." I kept saying those words to myself as I remove Ranmaru's pants and underwear with my eyes closed.

This is one of the moments of my life that I wish I will forget by the time I wake up tomorrow. Sigh.

I help him put on the change of underwear he prepared for himself and the clean clothes he prepared.

"Finally, he's all dressed up again." I say in relief. I feel like all of my strength for the day has been drained already. Curse this day. Curse the world for today! ARGHHHHHGRRRR.

I then carry him off to his bed and lay him down.

"You're such a handful today! Sigh. You better be alright by tomorrow, you hear me monkey?!"

His expression is a little pained. My best guess would be that the headache is kicking in for him already.

"Why did you drink so much when you couldn't handle it anyway? This is your punishment from the gods of alcohol. Hmph." I poke his forehead.

He looks uncomfortable.

I brush his hair away from his face.

"…" My heart is feeling weird again. It feels so weird to…feel like this towards someone. What did you do to make me this way? Why did it become you?

I chuckle a little.

"What're ya giggling on about?" He suddenly asks as his eyes open.

"You woke up. Is your headache okay?"

"What made ya think I was havin' a headache?"

"Your face was getting scrunched up while you were sleeping."

"Heh. You're right though, the headache is getting to me. What kind of alcohol did they make us drink?" He groans.

"I didn't bother to check the brand but from the taste, I just know it's the type that punches hard."

"Damn those idiots…"

"Do you want me to get you some water or something? I can get you some of the food I cooked too if you're hungry."

"No need; I don't need those." He gently pulls me down on the bed and puts his head against my chest; his embrace is firm yet gentle.

"W-What are you doing?!"

"Just making myself comfortable. You don't like it?"

"You're acting like a spoiled clingy kid."

"Isn't it normal for someone to be a little spoiled with the person they like?"

"Ranmaru…" I take a deep breath. "You're only saying that because of the alcohol. Besides, maybe you were just confused before when you first told me that too; there's no way you'd like someone like me in that way—"

He suddenly gets up and kisses me. He puts his forehead against mine after the kiss.

"Whether I'm sober or drunk or whatever state I am in, I'd still say that I like you Emi. My feelings aren't as shallow as you think."

"Stop that. Stop whatever you're doing or planning. If you're just playing around or joking with me or if it really is just the alcohol, stop; just stop. What the hell are you talking about? There's nothing much to like about m—"

"You're more outspoken compared to other girls, you're brave and strong too, you play the guitar and other instruments really well, you're kind, your sense of humour is good, you eat a lot, and you're always fun to be with. You being cute is just a bonus. Sure, you ain't perfect but no one is anyway. The way you are is good enough for me. I like you a lot for who you are. I wouldn't ask for anything more or anythin' less." He caresses my cheek with a gentle smile.

My expression softens and my cheeks start to feel warm. "Y-You're a real idiot."

"I know that but I don't want to be just any idiot—I want to be your idiot." He chuckles. "Can't ya give this idiot a chance?"

He looks at me straight in the eyes as I think for a moment.

What should I say? My heart is beating too loud; it's distracting me. Can he hear my heart beating? It's gonna be embarrassing if he can actually hear it.

I put my hand over his eyes. "Someone like you…I wouldn't mind giving it a try."

He tries to take my hand off of his eyes but I end up pressing my hand down more firmly.

"Hey, why won't you get your hand off of my eyes?"

"No reason! Just let it be!"

"Why?!"

"Shut up and just go back to sleep!"

"I can't sleep like this! Are you an idiot?!"

"Your hand is getting warm, you okay?"

"I'm fine! I got wet from getting your ass out of the shower earlier so I'm probably just feeling my temperature change."

"You're embarrassed, aren't you?"

"N-No I'm not! I have no reason to be!"

"Then get your hand off of my eyes already!"

"N-No! No way!"

He struggles to remove my hand and once he did—I felt like an idiot.

"You're…" He chuckles. "You can really be cute sometimes."

"Shut up." I say timidly as I look away.

He gives me a light kiss on my cheek. "You're such a cute little monster."

"Grrr." I say playfully.

He chuckles but suddenly takes hold of his head. "Irk! Damn…hangover…"

"You okay?"

He nods a little.

"Go back to sleep. You need to rest while it's still bearable."

"You're right."

He pulls me back down on the bed and hugs me the same way that he did a while ago.

"This'll help me sleep. Stay here with me tonight I'll handle the excuses for Rukawa tomorrow. I just want to have you with me tonight...just like this." He hugs me slightly tighter. With his head against my chest, I wonder if he can hear what my heart is saying.

"Good night, Ranmaru." I say to him as I stroke his hair.

"Good night, Emi. I like you."

"I…" I hug him back slightly tighter. "I like you too, idiot."

A smile forms on his face.

We both fell asleep shortly after our exchange of words. It was a comfortable sleep.

* * *

When I woke up, he was still asleep in my arms and I was still in his. He's sleeping so soundly that just watching him makes my heart feel warm inside. I've got to admit, Ranmaru can be kind of precious at times like this. Hnghhhhh…How can someone like him be cute like this.

I want to stay like this a little longer but I'm starting to feel hungry. I should go reheat the food I made last night and maybe cook something extra for us to eat.

Slowly, I try to take his arms off and carefully slip out of his embrace.

I was already sitting at the side of the bed when Ranmaru suddenly hugged me from behind.

"Wha?! You gave me a heart attack!" I say to him. "How are you feelin'?" I pat his head.

"I feel better than last night but I still feel a little heavy headed."

"Well your complexion is better too. You turned out better than I thought. How about we go eat breakfast?"

I try to get up but he won't let go.

"Let me go, idiot." I say to him.

"Not yet."

"Yet? But I want to eat!" I say in a sulking tone.

"Just let me enjoy this a little longer."

"But if I do that—"

 _GRAAARRGHHHHHH_

"…"

"…"

My stomach…why did you do that…

"Pfft—that was hilarious!" Ranmaru says. "I guess you really are hungry already."

I nod.

"I'll go heat the food. You change clothes; just borrow whatever like last time."

"What else do you want me to cook? I don't think scrambled eggs and miso soup is gonna be enough for the both of us."

"Uh, I can come up with something."

"It's my turn to cook! You're almost always the one who cooks when I come over so tell me what you feel like eatin'."

"Hm. I think I've got some pork in the fridge; we can see what we can make with it."

"Okay. Now shoo; I'm gonna get changed."

"I could watch." He says playfully.

I throw a pillow at him straight in the face. "Pervert!"

He laughs as he leaves the room and closes the door.

I approach his closet and open it. "So which one of these should I wear?"

While I was looking thru his clothes, I find a small shelf in the closet—it's Christopher and Robin. They're so cute; he really did let them stay together. I end up finding a shirt that seemed too small to fit Ranmaru. Maybe this is an old shirt? Might as well use it since he won't be able to fit in it.

The shirt is gray with a cute skull that has a black star tattoo under the left eye socket. It's a one side off shoulder type of shirt; it's comfy. I then borrow a pair of shorts from his drawer.

I go into the living room and the smell of food is in the air. "Ranmaru, I used this shirt. Is it okay? It looked small for you though; is it really yours?"

"Which one?"

He turns around and his eyes enlarge a little.

"I forgot I put that in the closet. So you found it, huh? That's kind of a bummer."

"Hah?"

"I bought that last week; it was being sold in pairs. If you probably looked around more in my closet, you would have found the same exact shirt but with my size." He turns off the stove since the miso soup was boiling a lot already. "I guess I got your size right; that's a relief. It looks good on you."

"You bought matching shirts?" I ask as I set the table.

"Yeah…" He says in a shy tone. "The print was kind of cute."

"So this one was for me?"

"Who else would I give it to?"

I lightly hit him with my elbow. "Thanks a lot then! Let's eat!"

"What about the pork? Aren't ya gonna cook it?"

"I'll cook after eating something first. I'm starving!"

"If you say so, kid."

"Stop callin' me kid!"

We sit down and start to eat.

"I'll stop callin' you a kid if ya stop calling me an idiot and a monkey."

"But that's hard to do."

"Then I'll keep callin' you a kid."

He steals a part of my scrambled eggs.

"My food!"

"It's just a small piece."

"Hmph. I'm keeping the pork to myself."

"What?! You're being unreasonable! That was just a small piece! C'mon! Give me a break!"

"Once an idiot, always an idiot. Hmph." I sulk.

"Aw c'mon don't be like that. Acting cute never suited you anyway."

I angrily sip my miso soup.

He chuckles. "You don't need to act cute because you already are."

"You. Stop. Talking." I take a bite of my scrambled eggs.

"You got some of it on your face right there." He points at the right side of my lips.

"Really?" I touch the right side of my lips. "Eh? I don't feel anything here." I move my hand around the right side of my face like a child tapping for something. "I can't find it…"

He then reaches out for the left side of my lips and takes the piece of egg off of it. "It was on the other side. My bad."

He eats the piece and licks his finger. He smiles at me happily.

"You're getting cheeky. It's annoying me." I say to him with a glare.

"Am I?" He asked playfully.

"Sigh. Two can play that game." I drink some water and then look at him. "Did you know that your sleeping face last night was so cute? You hair was also so soft and fluffy that it was fun to stroke. You become even more handsome when your expression softens; you would kill people just by smiling so gently like your sleeping face."

"O-Oi! Quit that!" His face starts to turn reddish.

"I never have seen anyone hug me like a little kid like you did last night; it was so tight yet gentle. It was quite adorable, Ran-chan." I say playfully. "Were you a needy person when you were a child?"

"Shut up already!"

"Ah, did you also know that you were talking in your sleep last night? You were saying things like, 'Soft', 'So warm', 'This feels nice', and things like 'I like you, Emi~' Hahaha!" Oh god, my stomach is about to burst from holding back my laughter so much.

Ranmaru melts down on the table. I gotcha this time, monkey.

"Do you admit defeat? I still have one last card in my sleeve. Hehe."

"I give up, I give up, don't say any more! I surrender already so stop! Don't say any more than you already have!"

"Are you sure? The last card that I've got is really good! Wanna know? Wanna know?" I grin widely.

"No. I don't wanna hear it. No. No. No."

"I win!" I say playfully.

We look at each other for a moment and end up chuckling a little. It's so stupid but I find it kinda cute. I guess he won't know for now that he's like a cat—he snuggles more when he feels comfortable and when you stroke his head while he's sleeping.

"By the way, Ranmaru."

"What?" He asks as he drinks water from his glass.

I smile brightly at him. "I like you too~" I say happily.

He suddenly spits out his water on his side of the table and coughs horribly.

"You made things messy. I ain't cleaning that for you." I say to him with a straight face.

"Damn...You caught me there." His coughs lessen. "You're a sly woman."

I stretch my arms upwards a little. "I'm your little sly fox. Are ya gonna be my cute little rabbit?"

"I ain't gonna let ya eat me. I'll be the wolf that eats you up."

"We'll see about that, Ran-chan~"

He sulks as he wipes the mess he made on the table.

* * *

* **Author's** **Note:** I based the 'Masked Singers' show from Korea's television show called 'King of Masked Singers'. It's a pretty good and fun show and I do recommend it if you are into Korean songs and singers.

I also apologize for late updates. I have been reallyyyyy busy with university and lately I have been feeling really low/down again...It has also been hard to stay in one story at a time! Every time I type a new chapter, I end up making a draft for another or end up with an idea for the next fanfics I'm going to make in the future hahaha. My mind is working too fast and vividly! Hehe. Take care always and don't forget to take a break from time to time, okay?


	25. Chapter 24: Like the Ocean Waves

**Chapter 24: Like the Ocean Waves**

*meowwww*

Nao sits on top of a white mountain on the bed. His tail sways from side to side as he purrs.

Mana enters Koemi's room and sees him. "Nao, go transfer somewhere else. This could get ugly and though I don't really like you, I don't think it's worth your time to get involved."

" Emi." Mana says in an emotionless tone.

"No." I cover myself even more with my blanket and bury myself deeper into my bed. I think that if I actually give it a little more effort, I might pass thru my mattress.

"Come now, we can't be late or else the staff and your co-stars will miss the flight; you're all meeting at the airport lobby and boarding together. We can't cancel on this job since the contract that you signed has a 'no cancellation upon signing' condition. You'll get sued for breach of contract if you don't show."

"They can sue me all they want! I'll obediently go into my jail cell! I've been in one before; I can go into one again!"

Mana starts to pull my blanket but I grab on it even tighter.

"Emi, it will cost some money to get an attorney and—Wait, are you telling me you've been in jail before?!" She starts to pull on my blanket even more. "This is the first time I've heard of this and it wasn't even on your file! What were you convicted for?! TELL ME!"

"Stop pullin' my blanket! I'm not coming out of this shell! And I was in jail because when I went with Auntie to pick up a member of our group, I got stuck inside overnight in the jail cell where our fellow member was! They closed the door and it automatically locked itself! They forgot I was with them and came back for me two days later!"

"Two days later?! They forgot about you for that long?!"

"Well, I was the type that wonders off from time to time back then so it didn't really worry Auntie and the others when I was gone for a day or so."

"You really were a little runt in the day, no? STOP DISTRACTING ME WITH YOUR STORIES. NOW GET OUT OF THIS BLANKET AND GET YOURSELF READY. I'M BRINGING YOU TO THE AIRPORT WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT."

"BUT I'M NOT READY TO GO TO THE BEACH."

"WELL, READ YOUR CONTRACTS PROPERLY NEXT TIME AND YOU CAN KISS THE OCEAN AND OTHER BODIES OF WATER GOODBYE FROM YOUR CAREER."

She starts to pull the blanket really hard. My grip on one side of the blanket loosens and she ends up creating an opening. From there, she pulls off the rest of the blanket and grabs my legs.

"Gotcha!"

"Nooooooo! Ack!"

She drags me off the bed and onto the floor. I frantically claw my hands on the floor but I still get dragged away into the living room and then into the bathroom.

"Get yourself cleaned up and get your things ready! I'll give you ten minutes!" Mana says.

"Ten minutes?! But I still have to pack my bag!"

"You'll only be gone for a maximum of one week; you don't have to pack too much."

"But—"

She suddenly grabs the bath sponge and an evil smile forms on her face. "Then do you want me to help you get cleaned faster?"

"I-I'll be ready in ten minutes."

"Good." She puts down the sponge gently with a gentle smile."I'll be waiting."

She closes the bathroom door. She left but there's still a chill down my spine. Why is Mana so scary? I decide to take a bath immediately and the whole time, I had a broken smile on my face.

While I was drying myself and changing, a voice from the living room says loudly and clearly, "Six minutes left."

"You've got to be kidding me. You're really counting the minutes?!" I shout back.

"Yes."

I groan as I quickly put my clothes on and dry my hair with a hairdryer while brushing my teeth. I bust out of the bathroom and look at Mana with a semi-panicked expression.

"Three minutes." She says.

I run into my room and take out my luggage bag—Where the hell is my luggage bag?!

I quickly run into the living room. "Mana, my luggage ba—!"

Right there beside her was my luggage bag.

"Time's up. Let's go now."

"You…You had my things packed this whole time?!"

"Of course I did. I was sure that you were going to retaliate or such so I packed your things last night in advance."

"Then what was that ten minutes thing for?!"

"Nothing, really. I just thought on the spot that it might push you to get ready faster."

"What…"

"Let's go, Emi. We should get going while we're still on time."

"On time? We're on time?! You were complaining about how we were gonna be late!"

"I bluffed."

"What?!"

"Living with you for this long has taught me to get dirtier in my tricks when handling you. I have no one else but you yourself to thank for that." She smirks.

"You're getting cheeky."

"And you are still cheeky."

We leave our apartment and hop into Mana's car.

Mana sighs. "Emi, can't you relax a little? You're shaking like a leaf and you look as if you've been sentence to life in prison or that you've been given the death penalty."

"I can't help it! This job is going to be fun and all but IT'S GOING TO BE AT A BEACH. THE OCEAN. THE. OCEAN. I CAN'T SWIM."

"This is why I always tell you to read and THINK before you sign a contract or when you're deciding on a job. What made you sign the contract for this one?"

"The second sentence in the list of activities mentioned that there's gonna be delicious food."

Mana sighs.

It's true. The second sentence said that we were to taste and critiques some foods and that really pulled me in. The first sentence said that we were going to introduce the place to the viewers and to go around the place to show the things they can do if ever they decide to visit the place. There were more than twenty things written in that section of the contract and I read about half of it…the beach part only got mentioned on the latter half. Sigh.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate beaches 'cause you can do other stuff besides swimming like you can make sand castles, play frisbee or volleyball, have a barbeque, or simply walk along the shore. I have other choices on things to do and that's somethin' good for a person like me who can't swim. Unlike swimming pools 'cause all you can really do there is to go swimming.

"I told the producers about your dilemma." Mana says as she stops the car because of a red light at an intersection. "I told them that you can't swim. They have promised me, both in words and on paper, that they will neither let you swim or force you to swim so don't worry too much. Just keep a distance from the water and you'll be fine; the closest you can get to the water would probably be the borderline of the shore. If they try to force you to get in the water in any way or let you in the water without consent, the agency can apprehend them."

"That's a relief. I'll remember that!"

"Anyway, your co-stars are good and responsible people so I believe that you're in good hands. Hyuuga, Tsukimiya, and Kurosaki will definitely be there to help you if needed."

"If I die, please adopt Nao."

The stoplight changes color and this prompts Mana to resume driving. "You are not going to die, I assure you. Enjoy the trip and do your best for the job."

"I'm definitely excited for the food part."

"Besides, if you die then I won't be adopting Nao; I'll put him up for adoption or bring him to a pet shelter."

"No way! How could you?!"

"I am not going to stick with that cat if you die so do your best to survive."

"And here I thought that your heart has changed over time. I guess I'm wrong. Hmph."

"Then don't die if you care for the future of your cat." She says in a playful and teasing tone.

"Curse you, Mana. Curse you! I want to go back home!"

"Put your seatbelt back on!"

We arrive at the airport after a while and I'm shaking all over. I'd rather fight some yakuza or go back to selling eggs in the market than go near the ocean! I feel kinda pathetic…I'm a demon on land but I become a coward towards water…Sigh. Maybe I can try catching a cold during the trip so that I can avoid getting near the beach area. Hm, not a bad idea.

"Stop thinking about getting sick to avoid the ocean." Mana says.

"Are you a mind reader now? Are you sure you really aren't a witch or somethin' like that?"

She hits my head and I shut up. We get out of the car and Mana walks me to the airport entrance.

"This is as far as I can go; I can't go inside since I don't have a flight to board on." Mana pats my head. "Don't look so gloomy; it's making you look even uglier."

"Can I get a reward if I survive this job?" I ask in a sulking tone.

"I'll think about." She lightly pushes me forward with her left hand on my back. "Now go on, you still have to find the others in the lobby. Eat something while waiting for boarding time."

"Okay. See ya in a week, Mana. Don't forget to feed Nao."

"I won't. He keeps sitting on my laptop whenever it's feeding time and doesn't leave until I refill his bowl."

"Okay, thanks for feeding him when I'm not around." I hug her.

"I don't really have much of a choice." She awkwardly hugs me back.

A minute passes and I haven't released Mana.

"Emi, release me already. You have to go and I have to go back to my paper work duties too."

"No, I'm not going to let go."

She starts to push me away from her but I keep my grip on her tightly.

"Come on, Emi! Let go of me! What are you?! A grade school student?! Ack! Let go of me!"

"Noooo! I won't let go! I refuse to go! I'm not going!"

Suddenly, someone chops down their hand on my head. I flinch and release Mana so that I could touch the spot that the person hit; it kind of hurt.

"Oi, what the hell are ya doin' causing so much noise out here?" the person says.

"Finally, I'm released from her grasp." Mana fixes her glasses. "Thank you for that, Kurosaki."

I turn around to see Ranmaru. He's wearing a sleeveless white shirt that has some red stars printed on it and a pair of denim pants that have holes at the knee and thigh area.

"Ow…You didn't hold back, dumb monkey." I say to him.

"I just got off of the cab I took and I heard and saw you and Rukawa right away; you looked like a complete idiot."

I shoot my elbow straight to his stomach. "Who are you callin' an idiot, idiot!"

"Ack! That hurt!" Ranmaru holds his stomach.

I turn around to face Mana. "Hey Mana—"

Holy Buddha…she's gone; Mana is gone. SHE LEFT ME?! That's a low blow, Mana!

"Emi, if we check in now then we'll have some time to grab something to eat." He takes hold of my left hand. "Let's go."

"H-Hold on. Let go of my hand."

"And why would I do that?"

I end up getting dragged along by him…but it's not that bad, I guess. Oh god, I just remembered that I haven't told Mana about this; I haven't told her that Ranmaru and I have started dating. Then again, should I tell her? Urgh, that's the least of my problems at the moment. I'm really kind of scared of the thought of going near the beach. I don't want what happened in the past to happen again. I'm not ready to drown again huhu. The production staff won't let me near the water though, right? They know I can't swim, right? They promised Mana and the agency, right? So they won't, right? Right?!

While we were lining up to check in, he suddenly asks me, "Are you gonna be okay?"

"Huh? What? Did ya say something? I wasn't listening; sorry about that."

"I asked if you're gonna be okay."

"Me? What made ya ask?"

He pokes my forehead. "You've been spacin' out and you're talkin' less than usual."

"I-I'm fine! Don't mind me. I think I'm just feeling a little mellow today or maybe it's because I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

"You sure?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

"Can I ask you somethin' that's been bothering me?"

"What is it?"

"You can't swim, right? Why did ya take this job then?"

I flinch. "U-Uhm. Well, uh, t-the thing is…" I take a deep breath. "I didn't read the contract entirely so I only found out that there's going to be a beach segment after I signed the contract."

He sighs. "You've got to be kiddin' me."

"W-Well I think I shouldn't be worrying too much since Mana told the management and production head of the program that I can't swim; she even made them promise and sign an agreement that they won't make me swim so I guess things will be okay?"

"Did you take this job because of the food?"

I nod in response.

"Sigh, I knew it."

"Was it the same for you?" I ask him.

"Actually, yeah."

We both laugh.

"Ranmaru, can you let go of my hand already? I want my hand back."

"Why?"

"B-Because…! Just because!"

I release his hand and tug my hand but he doesn't let go.

"Are you embarrassed being with me?"

"Of course not! T-That's not it. It's just that I'm not used to…holding hands with someone like this." My face starts to feel kind of warm as I spoke.

"You've got to be kiddin' me. You've dated other people before, right? Didn't you hold hands with them?"

"I-I didn't. I refused to hold hands with them because I thought it was lame or that it wasn't needed back then." I try to get my hand free from his grip again. "So could you just let go of my hand already? It's…weird." Damn it. The real reason why I want to stop holding hands is because—it's you; the person I'm holding hands with is someone I really like and it makes me feel weird inside.

"No can do; I won't let go until we meet the others. Once our actual work starts, I won't be able to stick with you as much as I usually do since everyone else is gonna see. I'm gonna have you to myself until then."

"That's…" I feel my face heating up.

He holds my hand firmer. "You'll have to get used to this 'cause I'm sure I'll be doing it more often and much more other things in the future."

It didn't take long to check in since it was still kind of early. We head to the food court to get some food before the flight.

"What are ya gettin'?" He asks me. "I'm gonna be getting some karaage."

"I feel like eating some tuna or salmon. I think that food stand has one."

"Okay, let's go to that one."

"Eh? Didn't you want to eat karaage?"

"I did say that I wanted karaage but it doesn't mean that I wouldn't eat somethin' else. Besides, I'm not letting you go remember?" He smiles at me.

"You're starting…to annoy me again."

"That's good. Then that means you've got me in your head."

"Hmph."

I ordered a spicy tuna donburi with avocado while Ranmaru ordered grilled salmon. We started to look for a seat when someone calls us over.

"Ranmaru, we're over here!" A pink haired person says.

"Long time no see, Ringo. Same to ya, Ryuuya."

We both take a seat.

"Oh, you must be Eika-chan yes?"

"Yes, I am. It's nice to meet you, Tsukimiya-san, Hyuuga-san. Let's do our best for this time's work."

"You can just call me Ringo, Eika-chan. Then just call little Hyuuga here as Ryuuya; he won't mind."

"Why on earth did you call me little?" Ryuuya asks Ringo.

"Awww come on now, Ryuuya. You may seem to be a rough burly person but deep inside you're just a little gentle puppy. Isn't that right?"

Ryuuya just sighs as he continues to eat. I chuckle as Ringo continues to tease Ryuuya all throughout.

After taking a good look at me, Ryuuya puts down his utensils and asks me, "Eika, when you were probably a teenager, did you by chance performed as an extra for an action film?"

"Me?" I think for a moment. "Ah, I did! I was an extra for an action movie called 'Head Count'. I played as one of the goons. I can't act but I know how to fight so when I heard they were short of a person who could act as a goon for the fighting scenes, I signed up to get some extra pocket money."

"No wonder. It may have been years ago and I don't know if you remember but I was one of the stunt choreographers back then and I helped out in teaching the people who were playing as the goons regarding their movements. I remember you because you were one of the fastest learners back then; it only took five minutes or less to teach you the moves."

"Oh! So that was you?! You were the stunt teacher?! Wow, I didn't even realize."

"Such a small world. This industry really lets you meet with old acquaintances and pals."

"I'm more impressed that you can even remember someone from years ago." Ranmaru says to Ryuuya.

"Meeting someone who can learn so fast does leave a mark on one's memory."

"Let's have a group picture as a commemoration for our first meeting and Ryuuya and Eika's reunion then!" Ringo takes out his cell phone. "Alright everyone, say cheese!"

He snaps the picture and it turns our really well. He then sends a copy of the picture to each of us before posting it on his social media accounts.

"Aren't you all excited to see the place that we're going to? I've heard that it's a beautiful coastal town! I can't wait to see the beautiful beach that we're going to visit!" Ringo says enthusiastically.

I flinch a little as he mentions the beach.

"I am excited to swim against the currents and perhaps do some water sports if it's allowed. I haven't done any swimming lately so it's going to be a good change in pace." Ryuuya says. "Are you looking forward to this trip too, Eika?"

"Um. Well, I am! I'm excited to know the local specialties; I'm really excited for the food. Hehe."

"That's true! The food is something to look forward to too!" Ringo says.

"I just hope there ain't gonna be some surprise segments or times that they'll make us do some silly stunts; it's bothersome." Ranmaru says.

"That's true. Producers tend to add some sort of silly game into their programs." Ryuuya says.

"Eika-chan, did you bring a swimsuit with you?" Ringo asks.

"Uh. I think I did."

"What do you mean by that?" Ranmaru asks.

"To be honest, I wasn't the one who packed my things. Some stuff came up last night so I didn't get to pack my things. When I woke up, my manager had my bag ready so I really don't know what clothes she stuffed in it." I laugh a little sarcastically.

"I hope she remembered to put a swimsuit then! I'd like to play with you in the water. Teehee~"

I suddenly swallow my food. "About that…I actually don't know how…to swim…"

Ringo and Ryuuya's reaction is just as I expected. They're probably thinkin' 'why on earth did I end up taking this job' or something like that. I know, I know, I'm an idiot. Urgh.

"Oh dear." Ringo looks at Ryuuya for a brief moment before looking back at me. "Will you be alright? Was the staff informed about that?"

I nod. "I'll be fine as long as I don't go into the water or in the deep parts; I'm okay with the shallow area. My manager also informed the staff and producer that I can't swim so I think they'll keep that in mind."

"Just to be safe, you should stay away from the ocean." Ryuuya says.

"Roger that."

"Don't worry too much, Eika-chan. We're all here for you. We won't let anything happen to you and instead, we'll help you have more fun during this trip!"

"Oi, you're starting to make it sound like we're all on a field trip instead of work." Ryuuya says.

Ringo chuckles. "Work is more enjoyable when it's something you think of as fun, Ryuuya-chan."

I lean a little closer to Ranmaru and whisper, "Those two are close, aren't they?"

"It's always lively when those two are together. For what I know, they used to be classmates back in the academy."

"Ohh. So that's why."

"No matter how I look at Ringo, he's really pretty for a man."

"I guess so. I think he looks okay."

"Really? But he really is beautiful though."

"Meh. Not my type."

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Ringo asks.

"I was just telling Ranmaru that I think you're really beautiful for a man, Ringo."

"Aww thank you very much! I work hard every day to keep myself in good condition. You are beautiful too, Eika-chan. Have you ever thought about trying an elegant or perhaps a cute style? I think it would suit you~"

"I think that would be way too out of my usual style. It probably won't be good on me, Ringo."

"Nonsense! I'll give you a makeover next time! Whaaa, I'm excited by just thinking about it. It will be fun to dress you up! You'll look like a princess in the end hehe~"

"A monster princess. Pfft." Ranmaru says.

I elbow him but he still kind of laughed.

"You're a mean monkey."

"At least I'm a monkey; that's better than bein' a little monster."

I elbow him again.

"See? You really are a mean monster." He says jokingly.

Ringo chuckles at our bickering. "You two seem to be such good friends. Your interactions are so cute!"

"Not cute." Ranmaru and I say in unison. We look at each other angrily.

"That's pretty amazing; that was in total synchronization." Ryuuya says as he continues to eat. "I guess something positive came out from the two of you working in one unit."

"Oh no. My brain is getting wired and matched up with a monkey?!"

"W-Why are you pointing at me, idiot?!" Ranmaru says to me. "For the last time, I ain't a monkey!"

I stick out my tongue at him. Everyone then continues to eat but I pause for a moment when Ranmaru's hand suddenly takes hold of mine under the table. I look at him but he pretends as if he didn't do anything. I wanted to scold him but scolding him now would bust us both. I end up letting it slide and he continues to hold my hand. It's embarrassing when he intertwines his fingers with mine. I have to admit though, I don't hate it when he holds my hand.

I gently tighten my grip on his hand and it surprises him. At the corner of my eye, I can see that he's smiling.

* * *

Ryuuya looks at his watch. "It's an hour before our flight; we all should head to the waiting lounge now."

"Time sure flies fast these days. I hope time would slow down more when we get to our destination so that we could have some more fun!" Ringo says.

I want to agree with him but I don't want to stay near the ocean huhu. Hm…I could always stay at the hotel or on a chair or blanket on the shore; I'll even have an umbrella so I won't get sunburned.

"What are ya standin' there for? Are ya comin' or not?" Ranmaru says as he pats my head briefly before walking past me.

"I'm coming!"

By the time we reached the waiting lounge, the whole staff crew that was going to work with us was there already; we're quite a big group. According to our flight tickets, Ringo, Ryuuya, Ranmaru, and I will be sitting in the middle. The airplane is a big one even though the flight is domestic. For what I heard, once this airplane reaches our destination, it's going to pick up passengers at a major airport that's bound for an international flight to Europe, I think.

"What's your seat number?" Ranmaru asks me.

"30E. You?"

"30C."

"Oh so you got the aisle seat on the right side; Ryuuya got the aisle seat on the left side. I'm gonna be seated between Ringo and Ryuuya; Ringo is 30D and Ryuuya is 30F. The flight is five hours and thirty minutes long. I think I'm just going to sleep it off."

"I'd probably do the same."

"Are we gonna start work immediately from the moment we land?"

"I dunno but I hope not. They'll probably film a little like to show we arrived at the place and then the hotel we're gonna be stayin' at. You know, that basic stuff."

I take out a zip lock bag of animal crackers from my bag and eat a few pieces.

"You're eating again? We just ate." He says.

"This is my dessert. Don't harass me while I'm eating my beloved animal crackers."

I was about to eat the animal cracker that I was holding when Ranmaru suddenly bites it from my fingers. In utter shock, I froze on the spot.

"Hnm? What brand did ya buy this time? This one tastes good." He says. "Eh? Emi? Hey, are ya there?" He asks as he waves his hand on front of my emotionless frozen face.

"Is something wrong?" Ringo asks as he approaches us. "Did something happen? Eh? Wha?! Why does Eika-chan look like a zombie?!"

I look at him in the eyes. "Ranmaru ate my animal cracker…" I sulk even more.

"Ranmaru, how dare you make a lady feel this sad?! Bad boy, bad!" Ringo hits his arm in a comedic fashion.

"My animal cracker…" I continue to sulk.

"I'm sorry already! Now stop hitting me, Ringo!" Ranmaru says.

"You're apologising to the wrong person! You're supposed to apologize to Eika-chan!"

"Ack! Alright! Alright!" Ranmaru looks at me. "Hey, I'm sorry I ate your cracker! I'll get ya a new pack next time! Ack!"

I nod but I don't say a word to him and neither do I look at him; I'm gonna continue sulking.

Ringo gets called over by one of the staff so he leaves us.

Ranmaru taps my shoulder. "Stop sulkin' already. I said I was sorry."

"Hmph. I want by cracker back…"

He sighs and then looks around. "No one's lookin' so it's fine then." He mumbles to himself.

"Emi."

"…What?"

I look up at him and he suddenly kisses me. It was for a brief moment probably because he was being wary of the other people here in the airport.

"W-Wipe that smug smile off of your face, idiot!"

"Unsatisfied?"

"You can be an idiot and crazy sometimes, yeah?!" I pinch his ear. "What if we were seen?!" I say in a softer voice.

"That's why I looked before I kissed."

I release his ear. "You're gonna get is in trouble if you keep doin' that."

"I don't mind."

"I mind! Mana will kill me!"

After a while, passengers were allowed to start boarding the airplane. We sat on our seats and shortly after take-off, Ryuuya and I ended up falling asleep.

"My, my, these two are sleeping already? How adorable. I'm going to take a picture." Ringo snaps a picture of them using his cell phone. "Hahaha, Ryuuya is drooling. Aww, Eika-chan looks like an adorable little animal curled up in her blanket. It makes me want to pet her~"

"I'm hoping that you won't though." Ranmaru says.

"Ranmaru, you are fond of her aren't you?"

"I won't lie to you since there's no point in keeping secrets from you; people go thru hell when they keep secrets or when they lie to you. Yeah, I like her and we're seeing each other. We haven't told anyone yet; it's only me, Emi and you who know."

"I knew it! Everyone calls her Eika but it's only you that calls her Emi; that was the giveaway. Is it her real name?"

"A nickname."

"Do your friends in Quartet Night know?"

"I've got a feelin' they knew that I like her but they don't know that we've made it the real deal."

"You two seem to fit each other well. I give you both my shining shimmering blessings~ Eika-chan seems to be a good hearted person; she even got you to tone down your anger and your aura has improved; now you don't have to worry getting wrinkles between your eyebrows hehe. It's a good match, you two I mean. Are you going to ask her to go with you to Ai-chan and Kaori-chan's wedding?"

"I haven't asked her yet to be my partner."

"Wha?! You should ask her as soon as possible! Girls have to decide on what to wear and how to style themselves, you know! It takes a lot of effort to look good; I should know that very well."

"Heh, she looks good even without preparations."

"Still!"

"What?"

"Sigh. You still have a long way to go to understand many things in life, Ran-ma-ru."

"Huh? What the hell are ya talkin' about?"

"Hngh. You will understand some day! Oh, I think I need to go to the toilet."

"Again? Didn't you just go a while ago?""

"I've been drinking a lot of water lately so I tend to use the toilet often hehe. I'm sorry to bother you again but could you let me pass please?"

"Sure."

Ranmaru stands up from his seat to let Ringo get out.

"Thank you so much, dear. How about we switch seats so that I won't have to bother you every time I need to go to the toilet, Ranmaru?"

"That sounds like a good idea; it'll be more convenient for ya to get out and back to your seat. Sure."

"Wha, thank you! Now excuse me as nature is calling me fast." Ringo immediately heads to the toilet cubicle.

"Sigh. The flight is still gonna go on for another four hours. It's gonna be better to sleep this off since there's nothing much to do except to wait."

The airplane experiences a little turbulence and Emi ends up leaning on Ranmaru's shoulder.

"…"

He looks at her as she sleeps soundly. After a few minutes, she nuzzles against him. Ranmaru covers his smile and holds in his joy.

"Geez, what are you? A cat? You're becoming too cute for your own good. That's gonna be bad for my heart." He mumbles to himself.

He pulls up Emi's blanket to cover her more properly.

"If I met ya a little earlier in my life, I wonder what kind of person I would have turned out to be." He chuckles a little before closing his eyes to go to sleep. Just a little, he leans his head on Emi.

As Ringo walks back to his seat, he hums a happy tune. "I just love the feeling of being refreshed after using the toilet~ It's just so relieving."

Upon reaching his row, he sees Ranmaru sleeping close to Emi.

"My, my, such a cute sight." He takes out his phone and takes a picture. "I'll send this to Ranmaru tomorrow or maybe tonight. I'm sure he'd be happy hehe. These two kids...I hope that they'll have a happy ending together; that's all I wish for them."

* * *

"We've finally landed!" I say joyfully in the airport lobby.

"You've become so lively all of a sudden, Eika-chan." Ringo says to me.

"I had a really good nap in the plane. I feel really refreshed!"

Ringo chuckles. "That's good to know. How about you Ryuuya? Do you feel refreshed too?"

"I feel like a new born man." Ryuuya says proudly.

The whole recording crew laughs.

"W-Why are you all laughing?!"

"The way you said it was too funny, Ryuuya!" Ringo says.

"No way!"

"We got that on tape, Hyuuga-san. It was great." One of the cameramen says.

"What?! You people are picking on me already?! I just can't get a break. Sigh."

Everyone laughs. The crew continues to take some shots as we exit the airport. We all then board a big bus that brings us to our hotel. It's a little far from the city center but I was told that it's actually in the middle between the rural city and the beach side.

Director-san stands up in the bus and then holds up four envelopes. "Tsukimiya, Hyuuga, Kurosaki, Eika, in these envelopes are missions! In order to receive your hotel room keys, you'll have to accomplish the mission that you'll end up getting from choosing an envelope. Now, which envelope will you guys pick?"

All four of us look at each other and quickly make a dash towards Director-san.

"This one!" Ringo says as he gets the left most envelope.  
"Gotcha!" I got the middle one of what was left.  
Ranmaru grabs the one on the left. "Tch!"  
"Damn, I have no choice!" Ryuuya says as he gets the last envelope.

"So, what mission did each of you get?" Director-san asks.

Ringo opens his envelope and reads what's written on the cue card inside. "What has eight legs and is bright red? Find it and eat it." He thinks for a moment. "Ah! Is this the red king crab? I have to eat king crab? Am I right?"

Kurosaki opens his envelope. "Fish on a belt. Straight to your belly. Come get some moving sushi and some jiggly jelly." He looks at Director-san with a straight face. "Who the hell wrote this?! You've got to be kiddin' me?!"

"Pfftttt..." I hold my laughter as much as I can. I can't believe he just said that and it's gonna be on t.v.

"Don't laugh at me! Hey, whoever wrote this cue card is gonna be a dead man!"

Everyone in the bus laughs as he complains while waving the cue card in the air.

I open my envelope next and read it out loud. "Star night starlight, where can I see the neon tonight?"

"…They gotcha too." Ranmaru says from behind me as I stare onto my cue card.

I calmly put my cue card into my pocket and take a deep breath. "WHO WROTE THESE CARDS?!"

"Now, now, settle down Eika-chan. I don't think anyone would like to witness a murder on television. Hehe." Ringo says as he holds me back.

"Wait a minute, my card said 'tonight' so does that mean I can only accomplish the mission at night? That's not fair! Where will I stay and put my things 'til then?!"

"Life isn't fair, kid." Ranmaru says in a teasing tone.

I go over to him and start to squeeze his face angrily.

"Well I guess that is a less violent outlet of rage." Ringo says in a cheerful tone while watching Eika-chan squish and swirl Ranmaru's face.

Ryuuya opens his envelope while all the commotion happens. "Whisk away your troubles and stress. Whiskey helps. Yes, yes, yes…" His voice becomes dispirited as he finished his sentence.

Everyone suddenly stops doing whatever they're doing and just stays silent from shock.

Ryuuya slowly crumples the cue card and his aura changes. "Who…WHO WROTE THESE CUE CARDS?!"

The bus ride to the hotel was really lively to the point that we almost committed the murder of the cue card writer but he wasn't part of the crew that came with us for the filming so he's one lucky bastard until we get back to Tokyo.

We arrive at our hotel after a while—it's beautiful; it has a mix of modern and old Japanese style.

"This is Crossroad hotel. Now the staff will hold onto your belongings until you finish your respective missions. The clerk at the hotel desk will give you your belongings and hotel room key upon accomplishing your mission. Each of you will have a cameraman and two staff members to accompany you. Feel free to ask them for help if you need any."

"Hold on, my mission is in the evening so does that mean I have to wait until then?!" I ask.

"I'm sorry but yes, that is the case."

My shoulders slump. "So what am I supposed to do for now? Sigh."

Ringo suddenly hugs me from behind. "Why don't you go with me to eat some king crabs, Eika-chan?"

My eyes immediately lighten up. "King crab?! I'll go with you!"

"Alright! We'll eat as much as we can, okay? I heard that they're really good here."

"Kurosaki." Ryuuya puts his arm over Ranmaru. "Since those two are pairing up, let's pair up too. Sushi and whiskey doesn't sound so bad together. What do you say? Let's go?"

Ringo ends up dragging me along with him while Ryuuya ends up dragging Ranmaru with him.

* * *

"Hello everyone!" Ringo says to the camera as we walk. "It's a beautiful day today! The weather is clear and the sun is shining bright; it's a perfect summer day. Right now I've got Eika-chan with me since her mission is going to be during the evening."

"Yo, what's up everyone?" I say while flashing a peace sign.

"Eika-chan, are you feeling a little hungry?"

"I kind of do, actually. I just slept thru the whole flight without eating some snacks hehe."

"Perfect! My mission says that we have to visit a certain restaurant known for serving fresh and big king crabs. Isn't that amazing?"

"King crabs?! Count me in! Which way do we go?"

"According to the map, it's this way. Let's go!"

We continue to walk down the road until we find a restaurant at the far end.

"Wha! Look! The restaurant has a very interesting front! It's filled with crab designs! Let's take a picture, Eika-chan!"

"I'm ready when you are!"

"One, two, three, *kani!"

We step inside the restaurant and take a seat at a table near the windows. The restaurant was informed that it was going to be covered in our program so we had no problem with setting up.

"Their menu has a lot of yummy food!" I say joyfully. "Secretary-san, can I order everything on the menu?"

Everyone chuckles.

"Of course you can't! We'll run out of funds and get yelled at by Director-san." She says.

"You can be a glutton, Eika-san." The cameraman comments jokingly.

"How can I resist food? Food is life." I say proudly.

Everyone chuckles again.

"Let's see here…We were told that this place's specialty is crabs—King crabs!"

My eyes start to shine. "I am game!"

"Then let's order away!" Ringo says.

While we wait for our food to come, we start to talk about the restaurant.

"The interior has a nice cozy feeling, doesn't it Eika-chan?"

"It sure does. It's got a good feelin' of both a traditional and somewhat modern style. It's also nice how the color of the interior keeps you relaxed. The employees are also really nice." I flash a thumb up to the old man running the shop and he smiles and flashes a thumb up back at me.

"This would be a nice place to eat leisurely with your family or with a friend. Maybe bringing a lover here would be good if you're both foodies. Hehe."

"That's true. Like really true." I show the menu to Cameraman-san and he zooms on it. "They even have big platters if you're a big group and then they've got small platters good for two to three people."

"Eika-chan, if you could bring some people with you here, who would you bring?" Ringo asks.

"Me? I'd probably ask my manager to come with me." I look into the camera. "Hi Madoka! Let's go back here when we have time and money hehe. I'll eat these crabs for you hehe."

"Ohhh, so you're going to bring your manager with you?"

"Well why not? Plus she'll be able to split the bill quite well with me."

Ringo chuckles. "You're so funny, Eika-chan. How about some friends? Who would you take with you?"

"I made some new friends from Masked Singers so I'd like to invite them here too." I look again at the camera. "Hey there, Natsuki, Masato, and Ren! I hope you're watching this!"

"You became friends with those boys from Starish? That's nice to know."

"Yeah. I'm also friends with Quartet Night so I think it would be fun to invite them too. It's going to be really lively."

"Ei-ka-chan, I have a question~"

"That smile on your face looks mischievous."

"I just want to know if you favour anyone from Quartet Night more than the other. Do you? Do you? Do you?"

"Huh?" I think for a moment. "I guess I do—Ranmaru."

Ringo starts to sparkle. "Why do you favour him more than the others?"

"I've worked with him and I am in a unit with him so I've got to know him the most among the other members. Surprisingly, we get along well. It's fun spending some time with him."

Ringo continues to smile brightly but I have no idea what he's thinking.

"What about you, Ringo? Who would you bring with you if you'll come here again?"

"I'll probably drag Ryuuya with me hehe. I wouldn't mind coming here with you again or the boys from Starish and Quartet Night. I'm also game with bringing Haruka-chan with me as well as Tomochika-chan. I'm such good friends with everyone that it's hard to choose one."

"You're popular as ever."

Our orders arrive and we're all amazed by how the food looks.

"Everything looks so delicious!" Ringo says. "I'm going to take a picture of the food!"

"Whoa. The price tags on the food are quite budget friendly since the individual food serving is on the big side like this. I'm excited to eat!"

Ringo and I start to eat the crabs.

"Delicious!" I say happily with a mouth filled with food.

"Eika-chan, slow down a little. You're becoming a little messy." Ringo cleans the side of my mouth with his hand. "You're such a healthy one, aren't you?"

* * *

My whole body suddenly shakes.

Hyuuga notices and asks me, "Hm? What wrong with you, Kurosaki?"

"I dunno. I suddenly had a cold shiver out of nowhere."

"That's quite weird; I hope you're not sick. Anyway, isn't this whiskey delicious?! I'll have another bottle, please! Give this guy another one too!"

* * *

"Overall, the place was very comfortable and cozy, the employees have excellent service, the price is within a good range, and the food is really delicious! If I were to rate this place out of ten, I would definitely give it a ten!" Ringo says to the camera.

"I would give it a different score though." I say in a serious tone.

"Eh? What score would you give this restaurant then, Eika-chan?"

I suddenly bring up my pointer fingers up. "Eleven out of ten!"

"Hahaha, you made me nervous for a second! You liked this place very much, ne?"

"I sure did!"

"Yay~ I have accomplished my mission! Now I can get the keys to my hotel room from Director-san!"

"Congratulations to you, Ringo!" I suddenly slump to the floor. "I still have to wait…for the evening huhu."

"There, there, don't cry Eika-chan. You can put your things in my room for the time being if you'd like. You'll get your room keys soon." Ringo says as he pats my back as I sulk.

"I have an idea. How about we go around this city before heading back? Maybe we'll be able to pass enough time for evening to come."

"That sounds like a good idea. Huhu. Thanks for thinking about hanging around with me, Ringooo."

"I wouldn't leave you alone by your lonesome self for such a long time! Come! Let's set out and enjoy ourselves until evening comes!" He says enthusiastically.

"Yes!"

We ended up going to several shops for every district that we entered. Ringo would drag me inside one of the shops all of a sudden and we end up talking about the products that they sell. From clothes to bags and shoes, trinkets and accessories, to snacks and desserts—we practically went to every shop in every street that we wander into; we don't really buy anything but we do taste the food that are cheap and affordable and talk about it on camera. I'm not really the type that shops a lot except if it's food but I'm enjoying this shop hopping thing with Ringo; I've never done something like this before because I always thought it was pointless if I wasn't going into a shop without buying anything but I guess it's fun to window shop with a friend.

"Tsukimiya-san, Eika-san, could we go back to the hotel now? My camera is running out of energy; I'll have to switch to the other camera and have this charged." Camera-man says.

"Sure, I got no problem with heading back for that." I say to him. "It's important, right? Let's go."

"It's almost evening so it's perfect timing. The destination of your mission is not too far from the hotel anyway. Isn't that right, Eika-chan?"

I nod in reply.

We reach the hotel and while Cameraman-san fixes up his equipment, I hang out with Ringo in his hotel room.

"The rooms look good!" Ringo says as we enter his hotel room. "It's not too big and not too small for one person. Oh! The interior and furniture is so elegant."

I go over to the bed and sit on its side. "The bed is soft! The pillows and blanket are nice too."

Ringo chuckles.

"Ah." I suddenly stand up. "I'm sorry! It's your bed; I shouldn't have done that."

"It's okay, Eika-chan. I don't mind." He starts to unpack his things while talking to me. "What do you think we'll be doing tomorrow?"

"I don't know but I hope we won't be having any more of these missions. I also hope that we get to eat something good again tomorrow."

"My, my, food is always in your mind."

"It's not the only thing I think about, Ringo. Of course I have other things going on in my mind! It's just that food is one of the top things I think about hehe."

"What else do you think about often then?"

"I think about music or what songs am I going to make next, my cat named Nao, my friends, ways to avoid getting lectured by my manager, when should I visit my hometown and my parents' grave."

"Anything else?"

"There is one other thing."

"Do tell~"

"I've got someone that I like and I do think about him from time to time."

"Oh~ That's quite interesting, Eika-chan. Can you tell me what is he like?"

I start to feel a little embarrassed. "Uhm."

"Please?" He says playfully.

"He's..." I look up at the ceiling. "He's an idiot."

"Eh?"

"He is a real idiot—a meddlesome foul mouthed short tempered idiotic monkey."

"…E-Eh?" Ringo tilts his head in confusion. "Hearing that from you, it seems the person that you like is rather…"

I chuckle. "He can be a handful but he ain't that bad. He's just such a tsundere and sometimes he can be over the top."

"I see, I see. So he's like that. He must be quite caring then when that side of him comes out."

I nod. "He's very caring to be honest and actually really kind deep inside. He's also good at cooking; anything that he cooks tastes good. He can totally be a bright star in the rock scene. He's independent and responsible and fun to be with."

"Is he handsome?" Ringo starts humming as I talk.

"At first I thought he was just so-so but now I can definitely agree that he's a good lookin' one and he does have a certain charm that I can't explain. Oh, he's definitely cute while sleeping; he sleep talks sometimes."

"He sounds like an interesting person, Eika-chan. What about him do you like the most?"

"That's a hard question. If I had to decide on an answer…I'd say none."

"None? Such a surprising answer."

"There's no part of him that I like the most because I think I like everything about him more or less equally. If you take away just one trait or part from him, he won't be the same. Everything about him is something that I like and I'll probably learn more things about him which will just make me like him even more and remind me why I like him in the first place."

Ringo starts to shake me. "You are too adorable, Eika-chan! You really like him, don't you?! He's such a lucky guy to have someone like you! Whaaa! Too cute!" He then suddenly hugs me.

"I'm…dying…Can't…breath…e…!"

He stops but looks at the door. "Welcome back, both of you. My, my, why is your face so red Ranmaru? Did you drink too much whiskey with Ryuuya?"

I look at the bedroom door and there stood Ryuuya and Ranmaru. Did he hear the things that I said to Ringo?! He's really red in the face; he must have heard me without a doubt.

I wave a little to him and he just raises his hand and waves it a little in response.

"The whiskey we had was really delicious! We got you two one bottle each." Ryuuya says.

"Is that so? Thank you then; we'll drink it when we have time. Eika-chan and I ate a lot of crab because of my mission. The king crabs that we ate were really delicious and big! We couldn't bring take-out with us since Eika-chan and I would end up paying for the bill. Hehe sorry!" Ringo says.

"It's alright. We can just eat there during the break times or when we're off camera." Ryuuya shows a thumb up.

"We also got to eat some good sushi." Ranmaru says.

"Really? That's good!"

"Ah!" I suddenly stand up. "The sun is sinkin' already; I'll have to get started with looking for the spot for my mission so that I can finally get my room key!"

"Do you want me to go with you, Eika-chan?"

"It's okay, Ringo. You're still fixing your stuff and you did go around with me so I think you should rest for tomorrow. Thanks for today."

"Do take care, okay?"

"Are you sure about going by yourself?" Ryuuya asks. "Kurosaki and I can go with you."

"I'll be fine. You two need to rest too. Cameraman-san and Secretary-san will be with me so I'm not gonna be alone for real." I pass thru Ryuuya and Ranmaru by the door. "I'll see you guys later!"

By the time I get to the lobby, Cameraman-san and Secretary-san were already there waiting for me.

"You guys ready to head out to search for the neon lights district?" I ask them with enthusiasm.

"The camera is charged up and ready to roll, Eika-san." Cameraman-san says.

"I've brought a camera as well to take photos of you when we get to the place." Secretary-san says. "I'm sure that we can get some good photos of you in the sea of neon lights."

"You're soundin' poetic, Secretary-san!"

She chuckles.

We set out into the city and well we got lost a little but things turned out well after wandering for an extra hour. We enter into a district that was wider than the others and our eyes glittered as we were welcomed by several neon signs of different colors and sizes; they were beautiful and they give you the feeling of being in a dream-like world in the night. It was different from Tokyo where there were a lot more signs than the ones here and they were scattered everywhere in the city. Here, the signs look as if they were arranged accidentally or something like that; they just look good naturally.

"This is…awesome." I said unconsciously.

*click*

"Huh?" What was that?

"Eika-san, pardon but I took a picture of you without warning. Your genuine expression was just too good along with the neon lights. I'll continue to take pictures of you so that we'll have material to work on with or without warning. It's is my job after all." Secretary-san says.

"Oh, uh, yeah, sure, I understand."

Every turn we took in the district, a new set of neon lights welcomed us. The area was also filled with shops and food but I was more interested in the scenery—this city scene.

"Eika-san, what's that tune you're humming?" Cameraman-san asks as he points the camera at me.

"It's an old song that my aunt likes to listen to. It's called 'Plastic Love' by Mariya Takeuchi. My aunt loves old songs especially those songs from the city pop era; they're pretty catchy. Seeing neon lights at night like this usually reminds me of those kinds of songs 'cause it has the same vibe or atmosphere."

"That kind of genre is kinda different from you usual style, isn't it? We'd like to hear you sing those kinds of songs some time!"

"Hehe. I'll think about it! Maybe I'll have a special album out in the future with songs that aren't rock."

Secretary-san then starts to tell me to position myself at different spots for photos. Once she was satisfied and once Cameraman-san had his fill of recordings too, we headed back to the hotel. I looked back for a moment and sighed deeply. In my head, I thought, 'The city, is it alive? Are we all alive for real? Whether we're alive or not, I'm just glad that I got to exist for the ones around me.'

Secretary-san tugs on Cameraman-san's shirt. "Hey, hey, Cameraman-san, Eika-san sure looks cool while she's thinking. She's got some interesting sides that are still a mystery, no?"

"Well, she is still a person—idols are still a human being. Everyone's multidimensional and even the person himself or herself doesn't notice at times or realizes his or her other sides. Then sometimes, we're forced to take on a role or image for varying reasons. I became a cameraman because I like to watch people and record them and show others how different and similar we all are. Why did you become a secretary?"

"I get to meet and to work with several kinds of people in this job. I get to see how others work and think and at the same time come to understand them to a certain degree. It's interesting how everyone approaches things differently and it's still interesting at times when people approach things similarly."

"I guess we're just two weird people who like to watch other people."

"You are definitely right."

"Are ya two ready to head back?" I ask them as I wrap my arms with theirs. "Since we found this place, it's mission accomplished right? So that means I should be able to get my room key now! Yay!"

"Sure, we can head back already since we've got enough footage and pictures." Cameraman-san says.

"Good! Soft comfy bed, here I come!" I say as I walk forward ahead of the two.

* * *

The moment I enter my room, I went straight for my bed and jump onto it.

"Bombs away!"

My body bounces a little on the bed and then I sink into the mattress.

"This bed really feels so good."

I lazily take out my cell phone from my pocket and message Mana.

' _I finally got inside my hotel room. Today was really fun. Will tell you 'bout it next time._ '

After sending the message, I lightly toss my phone to my left side on the bed.

"Today was really fun! But it's also really tiring! I really like the king crab from earlier and the neon lights district was fun. Nothing could beat the energy I used though with Ringo; that really drained me but it really was fun."

I close my eyes for a moment. Feeling comfortable, I end up falling asleep within seconds. My legs hurt…I should do some stretching when I wake up.

* * *

*knock knock knock*

"Emi. Hey, ya there? Rukawa called me; she said you're not answering her calls. She told me to check up on ya for her."

She doesn't answer.

"I'm goin' in." It's a good thing that ya gave me the duplicate key to your room.

Her shoes aren't here on the shoe rack; did she go out for a sec? I look over the bed and there she was—sleepin' like a freakin' log; she didn't even take her shoes off.

I take my cell out and dial Rukawa's number. "Yeah, I'm in her place. She wasn't answering 'cause she's already asleep. Hm? Yeah, she's lookin' fine; probably got tired from walking around all day especially when she was goin' around with Ringo. Hm? Yeah, she locked her door; she gave me the spare key. Okay, sure. 'Night."

I turn off my cell and put it away into my pocket.

"Ya look like a mess."

I sigh while I take off Emi's shoes and put them away on the shoe rack. I place her phone on the side table and plug it up to charge it.

"Up ya go." I carefully lift Emi up. "And down ya go again, kid." and position her properly on the bed.

"Keep yourself warm. We've got a long day ahead tomorrow and it ain't gonna be fun if you ain't there." I make sure that the blanket covers her well.

"G'night, Emi." I stroke her head.

"Hngh…" She snuggles the pillow I placed beside her.

"Heh. Cute." I lean down and kiss her forehead. "Sleep well."

I quietly leave her room and made sure that the door was locked.

Someone suddenly taps my shoulders heavily from behind. "And what did you do in Emi-chan's room?"

"AHH!" I quickly turn around and had Emi's door against my back. "You scared the hell outta me, Ringo!"

"My, my, I didn't mean to." He giggles. "Ran-chan." He grips my shoulders tightly all of a sudden and closes in on me. "What. Did. You. Do. In. Eika-chan's. Room?" He's smiling but it's pretty scary.

"I didn't do anythin' sketchy! Her manager, Rukawa, called me to check up on her 'cause she wasn't picking up her phone and that's what I did!"

"Ran-chan, you're a good boy." His grip tightens even more on my shoulders; it made me bend a little. "So I hope you're not lying to me."

"I-I'm n-not." His grip is really powerful. "I swear."

He stares at me with a cold emotionless look for a while before releasing me. "Okay then! Goodnight, Ran-chan! I'm off to buy a snack at the convenience store; I felt hungry all of a sudden. Sweet dreams~"

He runs off happily as usual. Man, he can be a scary person despite lookin' like that.

* * *

"Rise and shine, Eika-chan! Our next adventure starts today."

I open my eyes and see Ringo with Cameraman-san and Secretary-san.

"Get your pretty self ready so that we can head out as quickly as possible! The morning is beautiful!" Ringo makes me get up and pushes me straight into the bathroom even though I still have a pillow in my arms.

"We'll be waiting for you in the lobby, dear!"

I hear the hotel room door close and it becomes quiet. That was pretty lively—a lively morning. Urgh. I'm not a morning person; I wanna go back to sleep but work is work.

"Eh?"

Wait a minute…I'm not wearing my shoes? I know I didn't take them off last night. Ah! I also slept facing down on my bed without putting on my blanket…"

I suddenly drop my pillow.

"…Did someone break into my room?!"

I suddenly rush over to my door to check it out and it's intact—so that means no one broke my lock or door down. I look at all of my windows and they're all intact too so that means no one broke into my room, right? Right?! Then who—

"Ah. The monkey went into my room."

I pick up my cell phone from the side table to call Ranmaru but I end up seeing a lot of notifications saying I missed several calls from Mana and the unread messages I got from her. On her last message, she mentions that she asked Ranmaru to come check up on me.

"Sigh." I guess I can't lecture the monkey for comin' into my room. "Tch."

Have to say, this job of goin' around to places and talkin' about them—I thought it would be easy but it's pretty hard too. You keep going around to places ya don't know, you keep eatin' new kinds of food even if you're full, you have to do so many activities and hope that you'd be able to do them for your viewers to really learn about the place and see how enjoyable it is; it's like being a teacher except it's a little different.

For our second day, we ended up visiting a local zoo; it was different from the zoos back in Tokyo 'cause they have polar bears, wolves, penguins, and other animals that weren't really in a typical zoo.

"Look at this guy over here." I point at a monkey that's eating a banana while sitting on a tree stump. "It's familiar, yeah?" I then point at the bench that was just right beside the window where the monkey was.

Cameraman-san then catches Ranmaru sitting on the bench while he's eating a banana. Coincidently, he was in the same pose as the monkey eating the banana.

Ranmaru notices Cameraman-san and wonders why he's zooming in on him. I then stand beside Ranmaru and say, "See? I told ya Ranmaru was a monkey."

Everyone laughs.

"Why you little—?!"

Ranmaru stands up and I run for it. He chases me for a while around the zoo; Cameraman-san filmed the whole thing. The chase stopped when Ranmaru got tired and well he lost track of which areas did I run to.

"These two." Ryuuya places his palm against his head. "They're like little children. Sigh."

"Aren't they cute?" Ringo says while petting the monkey he got from one of the zoo keepers.

After finishing up at the zoo, we were then asked to climb up a famous hill that had an awesome view overlooking the whole city.

"The view is wonderful!" Ringo says. "Look, the whole city in one amazing view! It looks just like a painting!"

"This is a perfect place to take a walk or a jog. The atmosphere and the air is enough to keep you in the mood for some good exercise." Ryuuya says.

At one section of the place, there's a statue of a foreigner known for being involved with the development of this place; he's got a plaque that says 'Boys Be Ambitious' on it.

"This is cool. Hey guys, I can take your picture here." I say to them.

Ryuuya, Ringo, and Ranmaru all pose together by the statue and I snap the shot.

"The picture looks good!" I say.

"What about you?" Ryuuya asks.

"Me? I'm good. I'm alright even if I don't have a picture with the statue."

"Don't be like that, go over there and I'll take your picture, okay?" Ryuuya says with a smile.

I head over to the statue and decide to sit on the floor on front of the word 'Boys'. At least this way it will just say 'Be Ambitious'.

"That's a smart idea." Ringo says as Ryuuya takes my picture.

After going back down from the hill, we visited a local market and bought some ingredients that we could cook for the next segment which was a cooking show that teaches us how to cook one of the easy every day local dishes of the place.

Ranmaru ended up being the one to do the live cooking demo together with a local chef. He did pretty well and the best part was that Ryuuya, Ringo, and I get to eat the food they cooked.

Ringo liked the food very much that he continued to eat more and more. "Ran-chan would be a good wife if he was a woman, nee Ryuuya?"

"That is true; he's quite skilled at cooking, isn't he?"

"Hooo, who would want a monkey as a wife?"

"Stop callin' me a monkey!" Ranmaru shouts from the kitchen set.

"You've got some sharp ears for a monkey to be able to hear me from there!" I shout back.

Everyone laughs.

"Ringo, if you eat any more than you already have then you're going to gain some weight." Ryuuya says.

"Oh no!" Ringo drops his spoon on his plate and froze for a second. "Why did you remind me?!" He ends up shaking Ryuuya back and forth. "My diet is ruined! I completely forgot about it since this trip started! I hate you, Ryuuya!"

"W-What did I do?! I just reminded you about your diet."

Ringo pouts and shoves a huge spoonful of food into his mouth.

That was the last thing we had to do for the filming today so we had the evening free. Since we were all tired, we all ended up heading back to the hotel and had a 'staycation' in our hotel rooms. Ringo still had energy in him so he called us over to his room to play some games he came up with.

"For Ryuuya, left hand on green." Ringo says after spinning the needle on the little thingy that tells you what body part and color is your move for twister.

"Green?! It's so far!" Ryuuya tries to reach for a green circle.

"Ack! I'm gonna fall if you push me like that!" Ranmaru shouts at Ryuuya.

"What can I do?! I can't reach the green circle without lowering myself a little!"

"Don't you dare! I don't wanna have another drawing on my face!"

"Well neither do I! If you're going to fall and end up losing, then it's not my fault, Kurosaki!"

"Noooo!"

"Left hand on…green!" Ryuuya says loudly.

Ranmaru ends up falling down on the floor from losing his balance; Ryuuya was too heavy for him. Ringo and I clap our hands for Ryuuya's victory.

"Damn it. What are you guys gonna draw this time?" Ranmaru asks in an irritated tone.

I open a marker and draw on his left cheek—I drew a banana beside the monkey I drew earlier on when he lost at the poker game.

"Now the monkey won't be hungry since it has a banana now." Ringo says.

Ryuuya and I laugh.

Ranmaru has been losing most of the games we've been doing followed by Ryuuya; I'm third place in being the loser while Ringo hasn't lost a single one!

"Now what should we play next? The night is still young!" Ringo says happily.

"Can we have a game where we don't get a punishment for losing please?" Ryuuya says as he sits on the floor.

Ringo sees the bottle of whiskey that was given to him by Ryuuya and Ranmaru from yesterday. He picks it up and sits on the floor next to Ryuuya.

"I know what we should play next! How about truth or dare? We'll use this bottle to determine who's turn it is."

Ryuuya groans. "I just asked if we could have a game that has no punishment…"

"Then how about having just the truth part of this game? We won't ask each other to do a dare and only ask a question to answer in all honesty. Hihihi."

"I have a bad feeling about this. I'll skip on this one."

Ryuuya stands up but Ringo pulls him back down on the floor.

"You are going to play whether you like it or not, Ryuuya-chan." Ringo looks at me and Ranmaru. "Now will any of you two run away too?"

Ranmaru and I shake our heads and obediently sit down on the floor, forming a circle.

"Yay! That's the spirit!" Ringo says joyfully.

I think we all feel as if he's got us all in the palm of his hands.

"Hey Ringo, you're more active tonight. Did somethin' happen?" I ask.

It becomes silent and Ringo just stares at us with a smile on his face. Minutes pass and he's frozen with his smile towards us with the bottle in his hands.

"S-So how do we play this game, nee Ringo?" I ask.

"It's a simple game, Eika-chan!" He puts the bottle in the middle of our circle. "We spin the bottle and whoever it points to will have to answer one question from the person who spun the bottle."

"So we're going with a straightforward game." I feel my stomach turning; I wonder if Ryuuya and Ranmaru are feelin' the same.

"I'll start with the first spin. Here we go!"

Ringo spins the bottle and it stops—it points at Ryuuya who gulps in nervousness.

"Ryuuya-chan, did you ever think about doing a different job than the one you have now?"

"Not really. I enjoy what I'm doing now but I guess if ever I had to choose a different job, I would probably end up being a personal trainer."

"Now since you answered my question, it's your turn to spin the bottle."

Ryuuya spins the bottle and it points at Ranmaru.

Gods I feel like we're becoming high schoolers this way. Did Ringo think of this game because he was running out of ideas? I hope that this would be our last game because I don't know about them but I'm getting sleepy for sure. Hngh. I miss Nao and Mana already. Maybe I should vid call them tomorrow.

"Kurosaki, I've known you and the other members from Quartet Night for a long time now; I was your senior after all. I want to know one thing."

Whoa. Ryuuya looks serious. What's he gonna ask Ranmaru?

"Do you still sleep with your bear stuff toy?"

Ringo and I end up laughing.

"W-What kind of question is that?!" Ranmaru says angrily. "Hmph. No, I don't; I just keep it in my closet."

"That was gold." I say as I wipe a tear away from my eye; I laughed hard.

"Shut up!"

He spins the bottle angrily and it points at Ringo.

"My, my, what kind of question will you throw at me Ran-chan?"

"Hmm." He thinks for a moment. "Do you wear women's underwear when you cross dress?"

"Oh my god did ya just ask that?! You sure got balls, Ranmaru." I say to him.

"What? He's always all out with his female clothes when he's working so it made me wonder if he even goes thru the length of wearing women's underwear. Aren't you curious about that?"

"Not really. I mean why would I be curious about what kind of underwear someone wears? Wait, are you turning into a complete pervert?!"

"Hell no!

"Perverted monkey, don't come near me!"

Ringo chuckles. "I am a trap idol so I cross dress but I'm still really a man. I don't wear women's underwear; I still wear briefs or boxers."

"Even when you're wearing a dress or skirt?" I ask.

"Yup!"

He spins the bottle and it points at me.

"Eika-chan, what do you like to collect?"

"Collect? I…" I pause for a moment and then look at him. "I like to collect cute things like Piyo-chan items. When I was in grade school, I had a friend who gave me a Piyo-chan keychain; I liked it and thought that it was cute. Ever since then, I've been buying Piyo-chan merch when I've got extra money."

"That's quite unexpected! Eika-chan doesn't seem to be—"

"You're gonna say 'doesn't seem to be the type to have such a hobby', right?" For a brief moment, I smile bitterly but I quickly changed my expression to a smile that seemed normal. "People usually tell me that but I don't blame 'em because I know I don't seem like that type; it's not in my image. Even when I was younger, I was often told that I didn't really match the cute type. Heh. I guess the only two people back then who thought I was cute would probably be my mom and my best friend." A small chuckle escapes my mouth.

"Eika-chan…" Ringo suddenly hugs me and pats my head. "You are a cute and adorable woman! Don't feel so down! You are cute whether you like it or not!"

"W-Why are you the one crying?! Stop crying, Ringo! H-Hey! Calm down yo!"

"I think kthe concept of cute is like the concept of beauty—it's subjective. Everyone has their own charm and that same charm can be cute or cool or not interesting depending on the person; there isn't a real standard for such things." Ryuuya says. "Just take me as an example. Most people see me as someone who is cool but believe it or not, some people find my athletic side as something 'cute' or so."

"I'm not really that bothered by it so you guys have nothing to worry about. I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" Ringo asks.

I nod confidently. "Yeah. I like the way I am and that's all I'm gonna need. Sure, there are some stuff I don't like 'bout myself but that's normal; it's normal to have some things you hate about yourself. But still, I like myself as is."

"Hngh. Precious child!" Ringo hugs me tighter.

"I…can't…breathe…Ringo…Help…"

Ryuuya pulls Ringo off of me and it's a little funny because the way he carries Ringo makes him look like a cat. I end up chuckling a little.

"It's my turn to spin the bottle."

The bottle spins and it ends up pointing at Ranmaru.

"So it's the monkey's turn again." I say playfully.

"I'm not a monkey!" Ranmaru shouts.

"What would you do if one day the kid goes missing?"

"Then I'll look for the kid; I'll search until I get the kid back home."

"You won't give up?"

"No matter what."

"What if the kid is dead?"

He suddenly pokes my forehead with some force; it hurt a little.

"I won't let that kid die no matter what, duh."

Oh boy. I don't know if I should be impressed that he knows right away that the kid I'm talkin' about is me or the fact that he's so confident and cocky with his answer.

"Ohhh? What's this? Ran-chan, do you perhaps have a child?" Ringo asks.

"What? No, I don't."

"Then who's the kid you're both talking about?" Ryuuya asks.

"Just a friend we made some time ago. She's a little kid that we play with from time to time." I say to him after a yawn.

"Looks like it's time to go to sleep." Ryuuya says.

"I think so too." Ringo says. "Good night everyone; sleep tight and dream of good things tonight!"

Ryuuya's room was next to Ringo's so Ranmaru and I were left to walk thru the hallway. My room is at the other side of the floor while his room is a few rooms down this hall.

"Are ya plannin' to go somewhere?"

I stop walking and turn to Ranmaru. "What?"

"I'm askin' you if you're going somewhere."

"Eh? What are you talkin' about? Where the hell would I go at this hour? Besides I'm beat already for the day."

"What you asked me earlier makes it sound like you're plannin' to go somewhere."

"Oh, that." I look away for a brief moment. "That was nothing. Don't think about it too much."

He grabs my hand gently. "You ain't lying to me?"

"Well, I don't think so." I intertwine my fingers with his. "I've just got a bad feelin' that something bad is gonna happen but I could just be paranoid haha. Don't take it too seriously, 'kay?"

He leans down towards me and kisses my forehead. "I'm serious though. If you go off somewhere, I'll go find you and get you. I won't leave your side and neither will you leave mine."

I smile at him. "Why would I leave your side? Only an idiot would."

"That's a problem then since we're both idiots."

We both laugh.

"Hey, I love you." I say to him sweetly.

"Love ya too."

"Just knowing that you're gonna be there by my side and that you'll come finding me if something happens is enough to make me feel more at ease. I hope you're tellin' the truth when you say you're stayin' by my side, monkey."

"You bet I'll be there by your side. You got no choice but to be with me now; I'll find ya wherever you go.."

I chuckle. "Says the man who couldn't recognize me in the mall the last time we decided to go shopping together; I was just standing there waiting for you for two hours."

He sighs. "I ain't used to seeing you in your disguise, okay?! I'm more used to seeing you the way you are now so cut me some slack."

I playfully shrug my shoulders.

* * *

The third came and we woke up pretty early; the sun's not even out yet. We end up climbing a mountain; something we weren't really recharged for since we stayed up late last night because of the games we played.

"Onwards!" Ringo shouts as he points forward.

"This could have been more enjoyable if only you were walking on your own feet." Ryuuya says with a grunt.

"But my legs have given up, Ryuuya-chan. You said it was okay for me to ride on your back."

"I did but I didin't think you'd make me carry you halfway thru!"

"How are you two over there? Feeling tired too, Eika-chan? Ranmaru? I'm pretty sure Ryuuya here can carry us all without a problem. He's a strong man after all."

"Don't you dare!" Ryuuya says to Ringo.

"I'm fine; this is nothing for me." I say proudly.

"Just be careful not to trip; it's a long way down." Ringo says.

Two seconds after Ringo said that, Ranmaru trips and falls down on his face.

"Are you kidding me?! Pffft…!" I couldn't hold my laughter and spilled it all out; everyone else started to laugh because of me.

I bend down and ask him, "Are you okay? That was a powerful ya had there."

He holds his face as he slowly gets up. "I'm okay but damn that hurt."

"Sorry about laughing but it was just so funny because you fell right after Ringo said to be careful."

"It's okay; I don't mind. Even I would have laughed at myself if the fall wasn't painful."

"Here." I take out my cold bottle of water from my bag and wrap a handkerchief around it. I then put it up against his face. "You can take this for now; I think it will help."

"Are you really okay, Ranmaru? Do you want to ride on Ryuuya's back?" Ringo asks.

"I'm okay. I'm okay."

We reach the top and the rising sun greets us. The stress of climbing up instantly just flew away the moment the sky's hues change into a warmer tone. If we keep going like this, I'm gonna start forgetting that we're here because of a job. Haha. The last time I did something like this was with mom and dad and Yasuko years ago. Old and new memories are so refreshing.

"Alright everyone, look over here and smile for the camera!" One of the crew members says. "Line up everyone and make sure no one's gonna get covered, okay? Hurry, the sun is gonna rise and we'll miss a good opportunity to take a good pic!"

We all excitedly pose for the picture and as the sun was just right on top of our backs, the camera captures our smiles and the warm tone of this beautiful morning.

"Perfect shot, guys! This will be the thumbnail for this episode for sure!"

Walking a little further, a restaurant and a planetarium was there. We, the cast and crew, eat breakfast in the restaurant.

"Are we gonna walk back down the mountain after this?" Ranmaru asks as we all eat.

"For what I know, we're going to take the cable car going down." Ringo says.

"Thank god then that means I don't have to carry this old man back down." Ryuuya says while pointing at Ringo.

"I'm not that old, Ryuuya! Hmph!"

We chuckle at their bantering.

Director-san comes over to our table and sits down with us with a notebook in his hand.

"I'm sorry to disturb your meal but I've decided to give you all a heads up for today's activities as well as for our activities for the next coupe of days. Is that alright?"

"After having breakfast, we will head back down using the cable car and visit a farm where we can pick fresh fruits; we can't go to the planetarium that is here because unfortunately it is closed for renovation. After the farm, we will visit a twin waterfall and lastly we will take a night walk at the famous canal district."

"Today is another busy day." Ryuuya says.

"Yes, that's true but tomorrow will be even busier. For our fourth and fifth day, we will be spending it by the beach."

"T-The beach?" My body feels like jelly all of a sudden.

"For tomorrow, we will have two cooking demos—one for breakfast and one for dinner. We will also have a volleyball game and a treasure hunt. We will also ride a boat to go around the sea for good footage. On the fifth day, we'll be h aving a photoshoot to have pictures to feature on the show and in the tourism book that we will publish about this place."

"What will we be doing on the sixth day? That's our last day, isn't it?" Ringo asks.

"We'll spend it at a good onsen."

"That sounds great~"

"Alright. I shall leave you guys to finish your meals. Let's work hard."

Director-san leaves our table and we continue to eat. I start to find it hard to swallow my food and my pace in eating slows down.

"Are you feelin unwell, Eika-chan?" Ringo asks.

"Ah. I'm okay; I think I just ate too fast so now I'm feelin' full faster. Haha."

"Take your time eating. It's still pretty early so I don't think we're in a rush." Ryuuya says.

I put my spoon down. "Yeah…"

The three of them become silent.

"Are you scared about the beach thing?" Ranmaru asks.

"N-Not really scared. Just worried." I smile wryly.

"We're all here for you, Eika-chan. Don't worry about anything." Ringo says.

"We've got your back, Eika." Ryuuya says. "Everything will be alright so you should lighten up and carry on as you usually do."

A smile forms on my face. "You're all right. I shouldn't worry about anything at all!" I take my fork and steal a slice of tonkatsu from Ranmaru's plate.

"Oi! My tonkatsu!"

"Sharing is caring, monkey."

Ringo and Ryuuya laugh.

"The tonkatsu tastes good!"

While we were in the cable car, Ringo hugs my arm and asks, "By the way Eika-chan, did you check if you have a swimsuit yet?"

"I did find a rash guard and a pair of swimming shorts in my luggage."

"NO, no, no, no, no! That won't do! Let's go shop for a swimsuit that would suit you before we head back to the hotel later. You have to look good for the photoshoot!"

"But that's what I always wear when I go to the beach or pool. Isn't it good enough?"

"Technically it's good enough but Eika-chan, you are more than that and after all this is going to be on television and on a book! As idols, we need to look better than usual. It's both a good and frustrating thing but it's at times like this that we become free to try something out of our usual routine."

"Um. Okay."

"Yay! Plus I really want to give you a makeover for tomorrow~ I'll let the staff know that I'll help with doing yur makeup and hair. Hihihi."

"You're so excited; more excited than I am." I chuckle.

"Because I get excited whenever I know that someone will shine brightly."

"What will you be wearing for the beach, Ringo?"

"Well since I'm actually a man, I'll have to wear a one piece swimsuit and then I might either wear a pair of shorts or tie a long scarf around my waist as a skirt."

"I'm sure you will look pretty."

"I'll make you look even prettier~"

"Heh. No one can top your looks, Ringo."

The day goes on and with all the strength we have left for the day, we finished the activities given to us without a sweat.

"And that's a wrap!" Director-san says. "Will you all be returning to the hotel?"

"I'll return. Since we're going to the beach tomorrow, I'll be preparing some of my things and I need to finish some papers for the agency. I'll try to sleep early this time but if you need me, feel free to wake me up; I don't mind." Ryuuya says.

"I'll go back with ya. I'm tired." Ranmaru says.

"You two go on ahead then. Eika-chan and I will spend some time around town. We won't stay out for too long so don't worry about us." Ringo says.

"What're you two gonna do in town?" Ranmaru asks.

"That's a secret between me and Eika-chan hihi."

Ranmaru becomes irritated and glares at me with a hint of sulking. I just flash a smile at him in response.

Ringo hugs my arm. "We'll be going now! See you boys later~" He then drags me along with him.

* * *

"Don't you think this one is cute?"

"Ringo, that's not cute! That's barely covering anything! There's no way I'd wear that!"

He pouts. "Really? Hngh. Then how about this pink one?"

I shake my head.

"What about this one? This hue of yellow is very pleasing to the eyes."

"I like the color but I don't think that'll suit me."

"Whaaa! No! No dragging yourself down! Hmph."

"Can't I just get a one piece swimsuit? I've never worn a two piece before and besides I'm not going to swim anyway."

"I know you won't swim but it doesn't mean you can't look good at the beach. Don't let your beauty go to waste! Every woman has a beauty that only they can hold! If I became a real woman, I wouldn't mind if I'd become someone like you Eika-chan. Hihi."

"Why settle becoming someone like me? You'd be a better woman than I am the way you are now haha. Hey, this purple swimsuit would look good on you Ringo."

"It's adorable! The best part is that it's a one piece swimsuit! I think I'll get that and then I'll buy this yellow wrap around skirt. These two would look cute together!"

"That's a good combination."

Ringo then takes a green swimsuit from one rack and puts it in my arms. "Here, go try this one out."

"This? But—"

He looks at me with an angry pout.

"Fine, fine, fine, I get it. I'll try it out."

"Wear it with this." He then gives me a black wrap around skirt.

I enter the dressing room to fit the swimsuit. The green bikini top is a halterneck style; at least I won't have to worry about the top coming off if it's this style. The bottom is like a pair of short shorts. The black wrap around skirt has some lace on the hem; it's cute without being too extra.

"Have you tried it on already, Eika-chan?" Ringo asks from outside the dressing room

"Yeah." I take a good look at myself on the mirror. "It's lookin' pretty good. I think I'll get these; they're comfortable."

"Really? Let me see, let me see."

I open the dressing room door and show him how I look.

"You look wonderful!" He looks at me from different angles. "This will certainly do! I'll do your makeup and hair tomorrow so that you'll look really perfect for the photoshoot and for the footage that we'll be filming! I'm so excited for tomorrow~"

I chuckle. "You're more excited that I am."

I change back to my normal clothes and we both head to the counter to buy the pieces we got.

"Ne, ne, Eika-chan, I bet Ranmaru will be stunned by how you'll look tomorrow. Hihihi."

"W-Why bring up that monkey all of a sudden?!"

"Of course I would! He's your boyfriend, isn't he? It's quite obvious in my eyes; I can sniff out romance anywhere."

"That's…uhm."

"Don't worry~ I'm not going to tell the agency about it. I won't betray people who are in a good romantic relationship. Are things going well with you two?"

I nod. "I think we're okay. We haven't been dating for a long time yet but so far we're getting along well and we ain't rushing anything; we're just doin' things on our own pace."

"That's good to know. Rushing a relationship is never a good thing. The most important thing in a relationship is learning about one another's personality and getting comfortable with them, I think."

"You sound like you've got your own experience in the dating scene."

He chuckles. "I'll tell you a little secret, Eika-chan."

"A secret?"

"Yup!" He looks around and then says in a joyful tone, "I've been dating someone for three years now."

"Three years?!"

He quickly covers my mouth. "Not so loud, Eika-chan!"

"A-Ah, sorry! I was just surprised 'cause it doesn't seem like you're dating someone at all."

"I'm pretty good at hiding it~ Being in the entertainment industry and all, I have to be careful. Being careful is not just for myself but also for my lover, you know."

"That's so true. Where did you two meet? What's she like?"

"Let's see…" He looks up to the sky and looks at the stars. "I met her in a bookstore."

"A bookstore? With your fame, you get to go out in public without trouble?!"

"Of course I still find it hard to go out! But since the public only knows how I look like in idol form, they don't know how I look like without the wig, makeup, and women's clothing. Hihi. So I go out in my regular clothes and without the wig—just regular me. No one recognizes the regular me except my friends and some co-workers."

"Lucky you. I always have to wear some kind of disguise when I have to go out on my own or somethin'. Was she a clerk at the bookstore?"

"She wasn't; she was a customer. I was looking for a book that I wanted to buy and then I saw her in one of the aisles. She was looking thru some books on a shelf and I saw her choosing between two books; she seemed like she was in a pinch because it was all over her face." He chuckles.

"What were the books about?"

"One book was a best selling crime mystery novel and the other was a book about fashion."

"W-What kind of taste are those?! So opposite of one another."

"I went up to her and asked her if she was having a hard time choosing between the two books. She said that she really wanted to buy the mystery novel because she's a fan of the author but she kind of needed the book about fashion because she thought it would be helpful for her line of work."

"Work?"

Ringo nods. "She's a seamstress; she has her own store that I'm actually a frequent customer of. I didn't know that she was the owner because I've never seen her in the shop before. It turns out that she's always in the shop everyday except she stays at the back room sewing clothes and sketching new designs."

"You frequent the shop? What a coincidence haha. What's the shop's name?"

"Aoi Mochizuki is the name of the shop."

"As in like 'Blue Moon?'"

"Yes. And the girl's name is Mochizuki Itaru."

"Her name is quite unique. Isn't 'Itaru' a boy's name?"

"Normally, yes. I asked her about it and she said that her parents thought that their baby was going to be a boy but then they discover that their baby is a girl after the mother gave birth. Since they couldn't come up with another name to their liking, they decided to continue with the name 'Itaru'."

"Ah, I see, I see. So that's how it went."

"Itaru is amazing and I really find her charming! Hngh. I'm too smitten with her…I think." He chuckles. "Right now, she's the biggest support that I have and I'm really grateful that I have her by my side."

Ringo becomes really enthusiastic and his eyes really light up when he talks about Itaru. It's so cute haha. His words and the way he talks feel really warm. He's really proud of his lover and loves her very much.

"But did you know that my relationship with Itaru had a bad detour at one point?"

"Eh? It did?"

Ringo nods. "Itaru and I broke up at one point and we stopped seeing each other for a year."

"W-What?! Really?! You two broke up?!"

"Yes, yes, we did. Just like any relationship out there, we had disagreements and fights too. We weren't perfect; no one is perfect. One year into our relationship, we had some major issues and then we just suddenly broke up one day."

"I'm not gonna ask what happened but that issue must have been big if you two broke up. Like it must have been such a big deal."

Ringo sighs. "Yeah…it was pretty bad during that time. But behold! After not seeing each other for one year, we got back together haha. Now we've been together for three years."

"How did you two get back together?"

"Her shop was in charge of our costumes for one event and we ended up meeting each other. Well…she initially refused me when I said that I wanted to talk but then I dragged her with me into one of the dressing rooms and locked it so she had no choice but to put up with me." He laughs wryly. "I didn't want to force it but thinking about it now, I'm glad I did or else we might not have gotten back together at all."

I clap my hands. "Good job then, Ringo. I am happy for you."

"Yeah. Do you ever get into a fight with Ranmaru?"

"Hm. We do fight but it's just usually a playful one? We haven't had a fight that's really bad."

"If ever the time comes when you two would have a bad fight, all I can say is that communication is the answer. Don't wait for things to cool down because they never might ever cool down and you'll miss the chance to have closure or to patch things up. Talk it out whenever you get the chance. If the chance to talk doesn't come, then make a chance on your own."

"I'll remember that piece of advice."

"If you and Ranmaru broke up, I would be devastated! If the two of you ever need help or a mediator, I will be willing to!"

"I kind of worry sometimes though that Ranmaru and I might be obvious about our relationship."

"I think you don't have to worry about that too much. You two aren't very lovey dovey in front of others and your ways of showing affection are quite different such as the way you two would quarrel or make fun of one another. I believe for others, the two of you just seem like realy good friends."

"That's a relief then. I hate being conscious of myself and others. It makes things feel weird or a little awkward."

Ringo and I continued to talk until we reached the hotel.

"Oh! It seems you're well loved, Eika-chan. You and Ranmaru make me miss Itaru so muchhhhh! I 'm becoming impatient; I want to go back to Tokyo and see her already huhu."

Ranmaru was sitting right there on the bench that was outside at the front of the hotel. He was playing with his phone.

I sigh. "He didn't have to wait for me out here. He could have just waited in the hotel lobby or in his room. Sigh, that idiot."

Ringo chuckles. "He even has a jacket ready for you. How cute~"

"He should be using it on himself. He's only wearing a T-shirt that's not too thick and who knows how long he's been waiting out here. That idiot."

I walk over to him quickly. I snatch the jacket from him and place it over his head.

"Ringo and I are back. If you have a jacket, use it! You'll catch a cold waiting here unprotected from the cold."

"Heh. I'm fine; I don't feel cold. Ya don't have to worry."

I put my hands on my waist. "I'm not worrying. C'mon, let's get inside and eat the pudding I bought from the conbini with Ringo."

He notices the small paper bag that I'm carrying. "You bought somethin'? What's that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. Whatever paper bag you're talkin' about, it's probably just a figment of your imagination." I say with a playful tone but with a hint of seriousness.

"Hey don't joke like that. What if I'm actually hallucinating?!"

"Then that's your problem and your own fault for waiting out here in the cold night."

"Ringo, she's really holding a small paper bag like you right?"

"My, my, Ran-chan, I don't know what you're talking about." He chuckles.

"…You're messing with me too, huh? Cruel bastard."

"If you're going to be mean to me Ran-chan then you won't be able to see tomorrow's surprise. So you be a good boy, okay?"

Ringo pats a confused Ranmaru's head.

"What are ya talkin' about?"

"Don't be impatient; just wait for tomorrow to come." Ringo smiles brightly.

"Hah?"

"Ranmaru, Ringo, come onnnnn." I whine like a child. "The pudding is waiting!"

"What you meant was _you're_ waiting." Ranmaru says back to me. "Not the pudding."

Ringo chuckles. "Cute."

"The puddinggggg!"

"We're comin', we're comin' already! Pipe down, kid." Ranmaru says.

"I'm not a kid!"

"Such cute children." Ringo says to himself. "I really want to go home and hug my sweetheart. I'll video call her later; I hope she's not working over time again. Hngh."

"What are you mumbling to yourself, Ringo?"

"Ran-chan…Whaaaaaa. I want to go home!"

"R-Ringo?! Why are you crying?! What did you do, Ranmaru?!" I ask frantically.

"What did I do?! I did nothin'! He just started crying!"

"Whaaaa. Comfort me, Eika-chan!"

Ringo suddenly hugs me tightly and I pat his back as he cries.

"Ringo, I got you the strawberry flavoured pudding."

He suddenly stops crying and his head suddenly pops up. "Let's go eat it then! Yay!"

"So simple." Ranmaru says.

"Happiness is simple sometimes." I chuckle.

"O-Oi! Stop dragging her away each time!" Ranmaru says as he goes after Ringo with me in his arms.

"She's too cute to not kidnap, Ran-chan. You'll have to do your best to keep her away from people who'd want to take her away. I'm sure you'll cry loads of oceans if she gets taken away!"

"I'm not gonna cry!"

"That's what they all say~"

Ringo suddenly walks really fast and loses Ranmaru. I hope Ringo is dragging me to the right direction. the pudding is in the dinning area of the hotel with Ryuuya; he was working on some papers for the agency there. It's a good thing that I bought five cups of pudding—one for Ryuuya, one for Ringo, one for Ranmaru, and two for me.

* * *

"Stupid Ringo. I ain't gonna cry because I'm gonna make sure that no one's gonna snatch her away. Tch."

Ranmaru continues to walk, trying to remember what direction Ringo took thru the hallway.

"I hope my pudding is still alive when I find them. They better not eat mine!"

* * *

Morning came and the day that we're meeting the beach has come…Sigh.

*knock knock knock*

"Eika-chan, are you awake already?"

I get out of bed and open my hotel room's door. "I'm alive. Good morning, Ringo."

"Good morning! It's time to get you ready for today~ Secretary-chan and our makeup artist is here to help me give you a makeover for today; they'll also help me tomorrow."

"Eh?! Tomorrow too?!"

"We'll be filming and taking photos at the beach for two day. Of course I'll make sure that you'll look great for both days!"

I start to close my door but he suddenly grabs the side of the door and stops me from closing it.

"I guess I have no choice?" I ask nervously.

"Of course you do! It's either you let me give you a makeover or have our makeup artist and Secretary-chan do it for me to you. Hihi." He smiles innocently.

I-Isn't that the same thing?!

"Let's get this over with then." I sigh.

"Aww don't look so sad and worried, Eika-chan! You'll definitely like what you'll look like hihi."

They enter my room and start to set up the makeup and things they're going to use on me.

"Do we really need makeup?" I ask.

"Yes, it's for the filming. You may not be swimming but you must still look good for the other activities and segments." Secretary-san says.

I enter my bathroom to get myself refreshed and ready. When I step out of my bathroom, I see some clothes on my bed.

"Is this what I'll be wearing? I thought I'll be wearing the swimsuit and wrap around skirt that we bought yesterday, Ringo?"

"Secretary-chan told me that the photo shoot will actually be tomorrow so I thought that you should wear something else today so that this would be our surprise for tomorrow. I'll wear my swimsuit tomorrow as well so today I'll be wearing this pretty dress that I'm wearing right now; isn't the pattern cute?"

"Uh, okay."

"Since most of the activities for today are on the land instead of the ocean, we've decided on these articles of clothing: a pair of denim shorts and a black tube that you will wear under this red one shoulder shirt. You will then use this pair of sandals to match your outfit." Secretary-san says.

The makeup artist then says, "For your hair, I'll be making one braid on each side and then I'll tie it up into a ponytail with the rest of your hair. I'll curl your ponytail a little to give it more volume and style. I'll then use this rose shaped hair ornament on your hairtie and these smaller leaf shaped hair pins on the braids on the side of your hair."

"I'll be doing your makeup with the help of our makeup artist, Eika-chan." Ringo says as he lays out makeup products on the vanity. "I won't put too much. I'll give you a natural look with a few magical touches from me~ I'll also use waterproof makeup on you so that it won't come off even if you sweat or get splashed by water."

I smile wryly. "I'll be putting myself in your hands, everyone. Do your best haha...ha."

* * *

"Are all of our equipment, loaded inside the bus?" Director-san asks his crew.

"We're set and ready to go, sir."

"That's good to hear. Go ahead inside the bus and rest for now. We just need to wait for everyone else to board the bus."

"Yes, sir."

"You're early as ever, Ryuuya."

"You know I'm always ready, Kurosaki."

"Your eyebags aren't as bad as ya get to finish your paperwork on time?"

"I finished earlier than usual but as usual Saotome sent me some last minute changes. Urgh. It was a good thing that he asked for minimum changes unlike the usual huge changes that make me stay up all night long…"

"Heh. Good for ya then."

"Everyone is almost on board. Just a few more crew members getting some of their things and I think Ringo and Eika aren't on board yet."

"Come on, you look great! There's no need to be shy or anything! Everyone is almost on the bus so let's go!" A voice says.

Everyone turns to the sound of the voice and sees Ringo. It looks like he's pulling on someone.

"I'm gonna go get changed!"

"No! Don't! All our efforts will go down the drain if you do! Come now, you look stunning!"

"No! This is so different from the usual—Ack!" I end up losing my balance and Ringo takes the opportunity to pull me out of the main entrance of the hotel.

"Good morning, everyone! Let's do a great job together today too, okay?" Ringo says joyfully.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Oh my, why is everyone so quiet?" Ringo asks playfully.

"Tsukimiya-san, who is that with you?" Director-san asks as he points at me.

"Eh? Her? You didn't recognize Eika-chan, Director-san?"

"WHAT?!"

Everyone gets surprised upon being told that it was me.

"I told you this was a bad idea, Ringo." I say to him in a gloomy tone.

"Nonsense! They're just surprised because you have a different look on you today. Come now, we should get inside the bus before the heat gets us."

As Ringo and I board the bus, I'm kind of disturbed by everyone's silent stares and gaping mouths. I must look weird for them. Sigh.

"That was…something unexpected." Ryuuya says.

"Eika-san is a fine beauty! I'd totally date her if she'd let me!" One of the crew members says.

Ranmaru suddenly slaps the back of his head.

"Ouch! W-What did you do that for, Ranmaru-san?!"

"Sorry 'bout that. There was a mosquito sitting at the back of your head. I was goin' in for the kill but it flew away." He says with a smug evil smile.

"O-Okay, sir. But don't you agree that Eika-san is even more beautiful toda—ACK!"

"There was another mosquito but I missed it again. Sorry about that."

A few more minutes pass by and the bus leaves once everyone was in.

"What are you staring at, Ranmaru?" He ended up sitting beside me when Ringo was asked to sit beside Director-san to discuss his segment for today.

"Is that really you?"

"Well duh it's me. Who else could I be but me?"

"You look really different from your usual style. I don't know what to say."

"I get it already. I know I look weird, okay?"

"What? Weird? I don't think so. Yeah, different for sure but not weird; you still look beautiful either way."

"…" I look at him in the eyes with a blank expression.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just nothing."

"I don't get ya sometimes. All I said was that you're beautiful—Ack!"

"Whoops! There was a mosquito on your head but I missed. Sorry!"

We arrive at the beach after a while and it was really a feast for the eyes. The water is so clear and beautiful; it shines! The wind was pretty good too; it's not too cold and not too hot either.

The first activity for the day was a game of volleyball. It was two against two; my teammate was Ringo.

"First to serve is Eika!" Director-san says as he's the referee.

"I ain't holding back so brace yourselves!" I take a deep before tossing the ball into the air. In one smooth move, I hit the ball with my strength and send it flying to the other side of the net in the blink of an eye. As the ball hits the other side's ground, I jump into the air. "First point goes to me and Ringo!"

Everyone was silent.

"…What's with you guys? Why so quiet?"

"E-Eika-chan…That was…scary…" Ringo says with a smile; his whole body is shaking.

"It was so damn fast. I couldn't even see it flying. After I blinked, it was already on the ground." Ranmaru says.

"What on earth was that?!" Ryuuya says in shock.

"Hehe…I guess I'll be holdin' back a little?" I chuckle. "Here I come again but I'm gonna tone it down so that we can play!"

I serve the ball with way less strength and Ryuuya ends up saving the ball. We went on for one whole game and it was really fun. The highlight of our game was when Ranmaru got hit by the ball on the face and ended up falling backwards and as he fell, he accidentally grabbed onto Ryuuya's shorts and they almost completely came off! We had a good laugh at that one. In the end, Ringo and I won and we were really thankful that we won because it turns out that there was a punishment for the losers. The punishment was that the losers would have to drink a mysterious drink made by the staff. Ryuuya and Ranmaru drank the mysterious drink and fell to their knees. I kinda wonder what was in the drink.

Lunch time came and so there was a cooking segment—that's Ringo's part. He ended up cooking lots of food with the local chef. My favorites were the lobster dish and the grilled chicken. After resting a bit after we ate, we were sent to do a treasure hunt that made us go around the beach area doing different activities. We were then given free time to enjoy the rest of the afternoon on the beach. I mostly just stayed on the shore relaxing or making sand castles or burying someone in the sand; it's fun. Ranmaru and Ryuuya played a lot in the ocean and even had a swimming race. Ringo was idly enjoying the ocean while riding a floater. When he came back to the shore, he went around collecting some seashells; I joined him at one point and we found lots of pretty shells. When evening came, we were given some fireworks to light up. Ryuuya lit the fireworks that were a fountain type; it was really pretty. The ones I enjoyed the most thought were the sparklers.

"Looks like you're enjoying yourself." Ranmaru says as he lights up on sparkler and stands beside me.

"Today was just so much fun that I forgot about worrying that I'm near the ocean. Haha. Besides, don't ya think we did a lot of fun things here? It took a load of stress outta my soul."

"I know what you mean. It was fun with everyone."

"Yeah. Looks like it won't be a bad idea to come back or to go to some other beach if things will be like this."

"Then how about we go to one next time? Just you and me."

"Sure. Let's have a barbeque when we do."

"Maybe I should teach ya how to swim. We could practice in a pool."

"I-I'll think about that. Not sure if I'm ready to take such a big step like that. Haha."

The activities and filming went on without a problem! It was really an enjoyable and memorable day. We went back to the hotel after using up all of the fireworks we had and after cleaning up. Director-san tells us on the way back that tomorrow is just for the photo shoot and then we'll have the rest of the time to rest before we head to the airport in the morning of the next day. I can't believe that this trip is gonna end soon. Time flies by so fast when you're having fun. I'll treasure these moments as much as I can as always.

* * *

*knock knock knock knock*

"Hngh…"

*knock knock knock knock*

"Hngghhh…I'm coming…"

I unwillingly get out of bed with a pillow in my arms and open my hotel room's door.

"What's up?" I ask sleepily.

"Good morning, Eika-chan! It's time for your second makeover!" Ringo says happily as he enters my room with Secretary-san and our makeup artist.

I yawn and my eyes are still closed as I stand in one place while nodding to whatever they're all saying to me.

"Eika-chan!"

"Hnm?"

Ringo takes away the pillow in my arms and pushes me towards the bathroom. "Go get yourself refreshed and alive. You'll be wearing this so go ahead and change into those before coming out of the bathroom. Don't take too long! Time is of the essence!"

"Hnm." I nod sleepily.

Once I finished showering and brushing my teeth, I sat down on my toilet for a moment. No, I'm not taking a shit; the lid is down and I'm just literally sitting down for a moment with my eyes closed—I'm still sleepy.

*knock knock knock*

"…"

*knock knock knock knock knock knock*

"….."

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

"…WHA! SORRY! I FELL ASLEEP! I'M CHANGING NOW! I'M CHANGING!"

"If you say so, Eika-chan. We'll be waiting for you." Ringo says in a sweet voice but I have a feeling that he was planning to knock down the door.

"Tsukimiya-san, I think you should put away those tools now." Secretary-san says.

"Yes, yes. This is good too since it means we won't have to pay for a broken door lock either. Yay~"

I can hear that clearly thru the door. Ringo sure is...uh, determined? I quickly change into the bikini and put on the black wrap around skirt.

"This looks pretty good." I turn around on front of the mirror to check myself out. "I guess this wasn't a bad idea after all. Well, let's do this!"

I step out of the bathroom and the three stare at me.

Ringo was the first one to break the silence. "You look great, Eika-chan! I'm getting more excited to do your makeup and hair! Sit down, sit down! Let's get you prepped up!"

My makeup was almost the same as the style that Ringo did yesterday except this time she made my lipstick color a little more on the orange-ish shade and she chose red, orange, and gray for my eye makeup. They let my hair down this time; they parted it on the side and gave my ends some loose curls.

"And we're done! I'm so proud of the outcome! I need to take a souvenier photo of my own!" Ringo takes out his phone and snaps a shot.

"Eika-san, you really look beautiful. This will surely be good for the photoshoot." Secretary-san says.

"Can I take a look at myself? Your comments are makin' me all curious inside."

Ringo hands me a mirror with a big smile.

"Holy crap of cats…Is this really me?"

I have never seen myself look like this before. I've got to admit, I look hot yo; no joke here or sarcasm at all. If I could hit on myself or date myself, I'd do it. Whoa, ego is rising over here hahaha. Damn, Ringo and the makeup artist did a really good job.

"Eika-chan." Ringo puts my hands together and holds them tightly. "You'll be hitting some hearts today so don't be shocked if some people start dying around you, okay?"

"Eh? ?"

"My, my, I worry for the heart of one cute little kitty. Sighhh. I hope his heart will be strong enough."

"What are you talkin' about?"

He smiles brightly at me. "It's nothing, my dear. Shall we get going to the bus since we're all set to go?"

"Y-Yes…Bright…So bright…" I cover my eyes from the bright rays emitting from Ringo; the light is coming from everywhere.

* * *

"Oh, good timing that you're here. Can you help us load these boxes into the bus, Kurosaki?" Ryuuya says.

"Huh? Sure." Ranmaru looks around. "Where are the other staff? We look like we lost some numbers here."

"They're dispatched to different parts of the town to take some photos of places and establishments for the tourism book."

"Ah oka—Whoa!"

Ryuuya suddenly gives Ranmaru a stack of boxes—3 boxes.

"What the hell are in these?! They're heavy!"

"Equipment." Ryuuya says.

"Please be careful with those, Kurosaki-san. The equipment in those boxes are going to be used for the photoshoot." A staff member says.

"Okay."

"Ryuuuuuuuya~"

Ringo suddenly appears and then hugs Ryuuya from behind.

"Whaa! Ringo, don't do that! I almost dropped these equipment!"

"Hehe. Sorry! I'm just really happy today!"

"Why?" Ryuuya pauses for a second. "…What did you do this time?"

"I just did part two of my yesterday's work on Eika-chan."

Ryuuya looks at him with a blank expression. "You are going to cause some commotion again today—"

"Whaaaa!"  
"Kyaaaa!"  
"Oh my god!"

Several staff members and bystanders react loudly and become restless.

"What goin' on over there?" Ranmaru asks.

"Someone that will hit your heart with an arrow. Hihihi." Ringo says playfully. "Be careful not to die, okay Ran-chan?"

"Ringo, you're scaring me man. What the hell are you talkin' about?"

"Ringo!" A voice calls out. "I ain't enjoying this much attention! Can I change back instead? I think people are dying right before my eyes literally! Am I gonna get charged for murder or somethin' this way?! I'm not willing to go to jail for this!"

"Oh silly you! Come on, let's get in the bus Eika-chan! Today is a little hotter than yesterday."

"I'm comin', I'm comin'."

I get thru the crowd of staff members and catch up to Ringo.

"I finally got thru! Sigh. Ah, morning to ya Ryuuya, Ranmaru. What's up?"

"E-Eika?! Is that you?!" Ryuuya asks frantically.

"The one and only." I say proudly. "Why?"

"You look even better than yesterday!"

"Heh. Thanks, I guess. I'm still not used to it though."

"Whaaa! Kurosaki-san! The equipment almost fell! Please be more careful!" A staff member says.

"S-Sorry about that!"

"Oi Kurosaki, I told you to be careful just a while ago."

"I already said I'm sorry and nothin' broke so give me some slack, Ryuuya."

"My, my, what could have made you waver, nee Ran-chan?" Ringo says. "Look, you're a little flushed aren't you? Nee?" He pokes his face several times.

"You little devil…"

I tap Ranmaru's shoulder. "No joke though. Those stuff aren't cheap, Monkey. You gotta take care of 'em or else you'll pay for 'em."

"Wha!"

Ranmaru gets surprised and the top most box falls but I end up catching it.

"What the—You're too jumpy today! What's wrong with you?! It's a good thing I caught it. Jesus, Buddha, that gave me a mini heart attack."

"W-Whatever." He looks away.

I try to make eye contact but he avoids my eyes.

"Hm." I lean a little closer to him and ask softly, "You find me pretty today, don't you?"

He takes a quick glance at me before looking away again. "Shut up…" He then says in almost a whisper, "You look pretty all the time, idiot."

I feel a bullet shoot straight into my heart as I see him get flustered. "You can really be cute, Ranmaru."

"Shut up! Put that box in the compartment, would ya?"

"No way." I place the box back on top of the boxes he's carrying. "Be careful now, won't ya?"

"Sigh"

Ringo and I head into the bus and end up recording a video clip where we explain what we're doing for the day.

We finish loading the equipment and props into the bus and we leave the hotel and head for the beach again. It didn't take too long before my eyes started seeing the ocean again. Compared to yesterday, I feel a little nervous because I'm gonna get closer to the water for the photos. I'm probably gonna be at best walking by the shore and won't really get into the water but I still get a bad feeling inside. Urgh.

The bus parks at the parking lot and the staff gets off first to unload the equipment and props. Ryuuya and Ringo get off the bus and I follow.

But Ranmaru takes hold of my hand and stops me for a second.

"Are you okay?"

"Hm? Yeah."

"You sure? I can tell you're nervous."

"Are you tryin' to be a mind reader this time?" I say with a sarcastic tone.

"Hey, I'm just here if ever you ain't feeling right. That's all I wanted to say."

I let out a small smile. "Thanks. Let's work hard today."

The staff got their things and went with the idol they were assigned to; Ryuuya, Ringo, Ranmaru, and I were given different areas to have our pictures taken. Ringo was assigned to the food establishments…lucky him. Ryuuya was assigned to the beach to do different sports and stuff. Ranmaru was assigned to one side of the beach where swimming pool and barbeque facilities are. I on the other hand was given the park area and one area of the beach where the shore wasn't too crowded. Yes, this beach has a park area; it's pretty cool.

"Please move a little to the side, Eika-san. Yes! That's it! Now smile!" Cameraman-san says.

We continued to take pictures all morning. It's tiring but pretty fun. I like it when the cameraman shows me the photos he took to ask for my suggestions or approval; he really wants to make you look great and be comfortable with your image as well.

"Alright, we've got great photos! Good job, Eika-chan." Secretary-san says.

"It's all thanks to you guys giving me some instructions and encouragement! Thanks, everyone."

"Eika-san, if it's okay with you, can we take some pictures by the shore now? It's the afternoon already and the sun is at the opposite direction now so it's a good time to take some pictures there now." Cameraman-san says.

I think for a moment. "We're just going to be by the shore, right? As long as we're not getting into the water then I'm okay."

"Thank you, Eika-san! We'll make you look great in your pictures! Better than the ones we have now."

"We won't go into the water, we promise." Secretary-san says.

"Okay! You guys better keep your promises! I can't swim for my life." I let out a wry laugh.

We set up at the shore and started the shoot. Everything is pretty okay but I've had more takes on this one since my nervousness comes out a little on my facial expressions sometimes so I end up redoing a handful of photos.

"Just a little, EIka-san. Just step a little backwards to let the small waves touch your feet; it'll look good with the scenery and pictures." Cameraman-san says.

"Okay. I'll go a little. I won't go further than over there."

"That's it! You can stay there! Don't go any further; we don't want you to get nearer the ocean, Eika-san."

"Please lift your arm a little higher and shift your body a bit to your left." Secreatary-san says.

"Like this?"

"Yes, that's perfect, Eika-san. Please hold that pose for a while."

We continued with the shoot and I'm happy with the pictures that we're producing. The scenery really looks great in the background. It would be a nice idea if I could be on a boat and have the beautiful ocean as the background. Hehe.

"Hello! I'm on a long break now; we had a lot of pictures done non-stop. How are you guys on this end?"

"Hello Tsukimiya-san, we've been doing really well. These are some of the pictures we've taken earlier."

Secretary-san shows him some of the pictures thru her laptop.

"Wow! Eika-chan has been on a great roll! These are all amazing."

Tsukimiya looks at the cameraman and Eika.

"Did Eika-chan say that it's okay for her to go that far? Did she consent? It's quite far from the shore."

"Yes, she did. We asked her and told her that she can back out at any time if she feels uncomfortable." Secretary-san says to him.

"Hmm. Okay. Please look after her; she can't swim after all."

"Yes, we're aware of that. I've checked and during this time of the day, it should still be low tide so we don't have to worry about her getting taken by the waves."

"That's good to know. Please continue to take care of her."

"Yes. We will, Tsukimiya-san—"

"Whaaa!"

Everyone suddenly turns to Eika who shouted all of a sudden.

"Are you okay?!" The cameraman asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine. That wave was a little big. I got wet. Urgh."

Tsukimiya and Secretary-san both sigh in relief.

"Would you like to continue or to stop? We can do a few more shots if you'd like." Cameraman-san asks.

"I can go on. Let's finish the number of shots we need then we'll stop."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." I nod with determination. "Let's get this hands down."

Tsukimiya stays for a while to watch Eika's work. About two hours pass before Eika finishes her solo shoot.

"Good job, Eika-san! You did a really great job!" Cameraman-san says.

"Thanks for your hard work too, everyone! Thanks for putting up with me on this haha. Oh, and thanks as well for the sunscreen; I didn't wanna get baked!"

Eika was about to walk back to them until Ringo's sun hat gets picked up by the wind and lands on the water near Eika.

"Hold on, I'll pick it up. You should hold onto this better, Ringo!"

"Hehe, I should. Thank you for picking it up, Eika-chan!" Tsukimiya-san says from the shore.

"No prob!" I shout back.

As I move back a little to the water, a big wave suddenly comes.

"Sh—!"

The next thing I knew, I was in the water and seeing some light above me.

Crap. I think I'm UNDER the water.

I breathe in and end up inhaling the ocean water. I try my best to stay calm and try to get to the surface. I dunno how long it took me to reach the surface but I got up there and was finally able to get a breath of air. To my surprise, I find myself at a far distance from the shore.

"Help m—!"

Before I could even call out properly for help, another big wave comes along and buries me under the water again.

"Eika!"  
"Eika-san!"  
"Someone get some help! Hurry!"

"W-Why…? The forecast said that it would be low tides at this time…" Secretary-san opens her phone frantically and gets shock at what she finds. "The info I read…was for yesterday's forecast…" Her hands tremble.

"What?! Then what's the forecast for today?!" Ringo asks.

"…High tide is coming during this time."

While some of the staff sought out for help from the management of the beach, Ringo quickly runs off to two people that he knows would be able to help immediately.

Every minute, Eika seems to get pulled more and more into the deeper parts of the water as the waves gradually get bigger. She herself worries how long can she keep going on getting her head up out of the water for air and how long can she keep whatever calmness she has left inside her to avoid panicking. If she panics, the higher the chance that she'll drown and possibly die.

* * *

"Alright. That's a wrap. Good job, Hyuuga-san. You really worked hard for this photo shoot! Thank you very much for your efforts!"

"Thank you to all of you too for your hard work. It's the duo shoot next, right?"

"Yes, we'll now be taking shots of you and Kurosaki-san together."

"Hey, ya finished on time too?" Ranmaru asks in high spirits.

"Good timing, we just finished too. You ready to head straight with our duo shoot or do you want to take a break first?"

"I ain't feelin' tired so I guess we can head straight with the shoot; we can take a break if we feel like it."

"That's fine with me. So let's—"

"Ryuuya! Ranmaru!" Ringo shouts loudly as he sees the two.

"Whoa, what's with you? Running to us outta breath like that out of nowhere." Ranmaru gives him a water bottle but Ringo just pushes it aside.

"We need your help, you two! Eika is in trouble! She got swept by the waves!"

Ryuuya and Ranmaru immediately look at each other.

"What?! How'd that happen?!" Ranmaru asks furiously.

"She was taking photos by the shore and agreed to go into the water but at the shallow part but after her shoot, when my hat flew into the water, she went to pick it up and got swept by a big wave that suddenly came. The secretary read the forecast of the waves wrong and the high tide is coming at this hour! You have to go help her! The other staff went to get help from management but I don't think Eika can wait! She keeps getting eaten by the waves!"

"Where was her photo shoot?!"

"At the other end. I'll take you guys to the spot!"

Ryuuya and Ranmaru immediately follow Ringo.

Their faces get consumed by worry as they see Eika struggling to keep herself afloat.

"Oh no! She's even farther than before!" Ringo gasps.

"Shit!" Ranmaru removes his jacket and heads for the water.

Ryuuya sees a life guard running to them with a lifesaver that has a rope attached to it. He quickly takes the lifesaver from the lifeguard and heads for the water, following Ranmaru.

"H-Help!" I can't hold out anymore! I'm getting really scared now! I can't keep this up! Each time a big wave comes, I get pulled under the water; it's getting harder to get back up for some air.

Another big one comes and I sink down under the water; this time I swallowed a lot of water by accident. I quickly try to get back up to the surface but my body is feeling heavier and heavier each time. "Pwhaaa!" I end up throwing out a lot of water but it still feels like the water I swallowed is still inside me.

"Hang on for a little longer, Eika! Ryuuya and Ranmaru are swimming to you to get you! Please endure a little longer!"

I think that was Ringo's voice. I can't see well since I've got pulled quite far from the shore and water keeps slapping my face from all directions; sometimes I don't know if the water in my eyes is from the ocean or are they mine.

"Emi!"

I reach out my hand to where I can hear his voice. "Ran—"

A big wave comes again but I have a bad feeling about this one.

"Watch out!" Ryuuya shouts.

The wave eats up all of us and for a moment, no one resurfaces.

"Oh no! Are they okay?!"  
"Hey! You're a lifeguard, aren't you?! What are you doing here dry on the shore?! You should be the one out there helping!"  
"Sir, I—"  
"That's right! Why aren't you doing anything?!"  
"Mam, I—"  
"Oh my god, none of them have resurfaced! Did they all drown?!"  
"No! Don't say that! It can't be true!"

Everyone is in disarray on the shore.

"Please, be alive and come back to us." Ringo prays quietly.

"Ghwaa!" Ryuuya suddenly resurfaces and he notices that he lost the lifesaver that he was holding; he must have lost it when the big wave hit him. "Haaaa! That was a strong one! Kurosaki?! Eika?!"

Ranmaru resurfaces shortly after him.

"Phwaa! Damn it! That was a pain in the ass! Where's Emi?!"

"I don't know!"

The two look around them and don't see her anywhere.

"Eika! Where are you?!" Ryuuya shouts.

"Emi!" Ranmaru shouts as he frantically looks around him.

"Ryuuya, Ranmaru, she hasn't resurfaced!" Ringo shouts from the shore. "She must be still underwater!"

"What?!" Ryuuya says in shock.

Without hesitation, Ranmaru takes a deep breath and dives under. He dives deeper but doesn't see Emi anywhere. He swims back up as he's losing air.

"Ghwaaa! Shit! I can't find her!" He says in frustration.

"Take a look again. This time I'll check too. I'll look over there while you try over there!"

"Okay!"

The two of them get underwater and search for Emi. They resurfaced a number of times to catch their breath but to their luck, they still haven't found her.

"God damn it!"

"Calm down, Kurosaki! We won't find her if we don't stay calm! Don't give up! Believe that we'll find her and we'll bring her back safely!"

"Of course I ain't gonna give up! Like hell I would!"

Ranmaru takes another deep breath and dives deeper than he has ever before. To his surprise and relief, he finds Emi but she isn't moving. He takes her arm and pulls her close to him an quickly swims back up to the surface.

"Where are they now?"  
"The waves will continue getting stronger if they don't return soon to shore."  
"Oh god, please let them be alright."

Ryuuya resurfaces and swims back to shore. Upon reaching the shore, he's short of breath and tired.

"Are you okay, Ryuuya?" Ringo asks as he goes to his side to help him stand up and walk farther from the shore.

"I'm okay. Just out of breath from swimming and diving so far. Where's Kurosaki?"

"He hasn't resurfaced yet."

"Heh. He sure can hold his breath longer than I can."

"Do you think he's alright? What if he ended up running out of breath while being underwater?" Ringo asks in a very worried tone.

"He's fine. I guarantee you he's fine. If you saw the determination in his eyes, you'll surely feel that he'll be alright. It's annoying that I've ran out of steam to continue helping him though."

"You did your best, Ryuuya."

"Look!"  
"Oh god!"  
"He found her! Thank goodness!"

Ranmaru was swimming back towards the shore with Emi. Ryuuya immediately stands up and walks towards Ranmaru as he gets closer to the shore. Ranmaru is breathing heavily as he stands up upon reaching the shore; he carries Emi up in his arms.

"Thank goodness you're okay and you found Eika! Do you need some help?" Ryuuya says as he helps Ranmaru to walk.

"Nah…I'm okay. Just tired. I'm okay."

Ranmaru immediately puts Emi down on a part of the shore that the water doesn't touch. He places his ear next to Emi's mouth and nose and doesn't no air coming out; he notices too that her chest isn't moving so that means that she's not breathing. He immediately starts CPR.

"S-She's not breathing?!" Ringo trembles in worry.

Ranmaru continues to perform CPR; he refuses to give up on her.

"Breathe! Breathe, damn it!" he says in frustration. "I'm not letting you die, Emi!"

He continues until water suddenly splurts out of Emi's mouth and she begins to breathe again.

"She's alive!" Secretary-san says in relief; she ends up crying.  
"Hic…Hic…" Cameraman-san was on the verge of crying.

Everyone starts to huddle around Emi and Ranmaru.

"Don't come any closer!" Ranmaru says angrily.

He stands up and looks at everyone.

"What the hell were you thinking letting her near the water?! What the hell?!" His voice was loud and very angry at the staff who were with Emi. "You know that you're not supposed to let her get near the water! God damn it! You all know that she can't swim and that she's afraid of the water! What the hell were you all thinking?!"

He raises a fist in the air but Ryuuya grabs his arm to stop him.

"Don't. It's not worth it, Kurosaki."

Ranmaru glares at Ryuuya for a moment but yields to him.

"E-E-E-Eika-san said that she didn't mind going into the water a little f-f-for the p-p-photo shoot." Secretary-san says.

"SO IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO CAN'T SWIM AND HE SAYS IT'S OKAY FOR HIM TO STAY AT THE DEEP END OF A POOL, YOU'LL LET HIM?!"

"U-Um—"

"WELL?!"

"I-I-I'm sorry! I'm really really sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Ranmaru, stop for now. If you'll continue being like this then shout at me too! I should have told Eika to stay out of the water when I came to check up on her. I'm at fault too to a certain degree." Ringo says to him.

"Ran…ru…" I say weakly as I tap his foot.

He gets down on his knees and checks up on me.

"It was…my fault. S…rry." I force myself to try to smile at him.

He pulls me up gently and hugs me. He says nothing as he holds me close to him. I guess he noticed.

Ranmaru takes a towel from one of the staff and puts it over Emi, covering her and keeping her warm at the same time.

"Ringo, take her somewhere to recover. Keep her warm and let her sleep if she wants to."

"Okay." Ringo nods. "How about we go back to the bus to rest, Eika-chan? I'll stay with you."

When Ringo tries to take Eika's arm, Eika clings more onto Ranmaru while keeping her head down against his chest. Ringo retracts his hand in worry.

"Sigh. I'll go with her instead to the bus. I'll call you or Ryuuya if I need anything or if anything happens."

"Okay." Ringo says sadly.

As Ranmaru helps Emi stand up, he asks her in a soft voice, "Do you want to go to a clinic or hospital?"

Emi shakes her head, keeping herself covered by the towel while looking down.

"Okay, if that's what you want. Let's go to the bus."

On the way to the bus, I would vomit out water; that's good though since it means I'm getting the ocean water out of my system. Once we get in the bus, I sit down keeping the towel around me and over my head. Ranmaru closes the curtains near my seat to dim the light that comes into the bus.

"If you want to sleep, go ahead. Take your time to rest, Emi."

I nod but I doubt he could tell that I did.

He sits down beside me and looks at me for a while. He then takes hold of the towel and tries to take it but I grab hold of it to keep it on.

"Sigh. You know that there's no point in hiding it from me and I don't want you to hide it from me ever."

He holds my trembling hands and then slips off the towel over my head. Gently, he touches my cheek.

"Your eyes were watering when you called out to me earlier. I knew that you were going to cry to I hugged you because I also know that you wouldn't want the others to see you cry."

More of my tears come out and fall. He wipes them away with the towel and hugs me close with so much warmth.

"You were scared, weren't you? You're safe now, Emi. If you want to cry, then let it all out. If you want to complain, then complain. I'll be here to listen and comfort you. I'll be right here by your side."

"Ranmaru…" I cry even more in his arms. "I…I was really scared. No joke! The waves were really strong and I was pulled away so far from the shore!"

He pats my head and back as I continued on.

"I was swallowing so much water and it was hard to get air. When the big wave hit us, it made me take in so much water than I suffocated until I got unconscious. I thought that I was going to die!"

He wraps his arms around me tighter and leans his head on mine. "I was really worried too when I saw you in the water when Ringo got us to help you. I had a heart attack on the spot. I wasn't prepared to lose you and I don't want to lose you at all right there and then." He sighs strongly. "I didn't want you to die and I made sure that I'd get you back alive. I didn't give up at all, that's for sure."

I wrap my arms around him and hug him tightly.

"I'm gonna die if you hug me so tightly." Ranmaru says to me.

"Idiot, don't joke like that at a time like this."

"Haha, I'm sorry. Don't get mad." He kisses my forehead. "I just wanted to make sure that I really picked up my girlfriend and some kind of monster from under the water." He chuckles.

"I hate you."

"Heh, I picked up the right person then."

"I hate you. Stop hugging me."

I try to get out of his hug but he refuses to release me.

"You're not going anywhere. Now stay here and make yourself comfortable. You're tired so rest."

"But the photo shoot—"

"That can wait."

"…" I lay my head on his chest in a more relaxed manner and I snuggle more against him.

"Cute…"

"Hm?" I look up at him.

He kisses me all of a sudden.

"Eh?"

He smiles. "It's nothing, just rest already."

"Hmph." I lightly punch his stomach.

But after a few minutes, I did start to feel sleepy and heavy inside. I end up falling asleep and as usually, it's so comfortable in his arms.

* * *

When I woke up, I was still in Ranmaru's arms.

"Did ya sleep well?" he asks me.

"I did. I feel refreshed."

"That's good. You've been asleep for about three hours."

"It's thanks to you." I kiss him for a brief moment.

"That's…not fair."

"Says the man who kisses me without warning. Hmph. I want to get back to work now. Let's go back to the beach with everyone."

"You sure?"

I nod. "I'm all better and motivated to finish the photo shoot."

"As long as you ain't forcing yourself then I'm fine with goin' back."

"I'm not forcing myself. I really do want to go back…so that we can finish earlier and eat some good food."

"Sigh. I'm startin' to think that picking up a sea monster or creature would have been better after all."

"Mean, idiot!"

He laughs.

"Emi."

"Yes?"

He makes me sit on his lap, facing him. "I love you." He says sweetly.

"W-W-What's with that all of a sudden?"

"I just thought that I don't say it often enough to you. That's all."

"Don't say that. You tell me and show me that you love me often enough; you've never lacked in anything."

"Now you're just comforting me."

"Whatever but I'm serious about what I said. Now you're making me think that maybe I'm the one who's not saying the 'I love you' line often enough."

"You don't have to say those words. It's always written all over your face anyway." He caresses my lips.

"Hmph. I hate you."

"I love you too." He chuckles.

I give him an emotionless expression.

"What?"

I lean towards him and give him a kiss that's better than the usual. He gets surprised; his expression was cute.

"Well, that gave me an extra recharge. C'mon, let's go back to work!"

I take a jacket from my bag and head out of the bus.

"Hm? What are you doing still sitting there, c'mon let's go! I'll go on ahead if you're gonna be slow." Without looking back, I head for the beach where everyone else is at.

"Damn it…Just how deeper am I gonna keep fallin' for this woman?"

Ranmaru gets out of the bus and catches up with Emi.

The photo shoot continues smoothly and ends well but once Mana hears about what happened to Emi, she caused a stir in the agency office and almost killed the production crew. Since I went to the water with consent though, the production crew didn't get into trouble and everything got settled much easier and more peacefully. I did get a good long scolding from Mana when I got back; even Nao was on her side when I got scolded at home so I got cornered real well. But hey, the show had high ratings when it aired and the tourism book sold well too so I got a bonus hehe. I'm gonna go buy some delicious animal crackers! A week's worth!

*meow*

"Emi."

"What is it Ranmaru?"

"Aren't ya grounded or under house arrest or something like that by Rukawa?"

"I am."

"Then what are you doing here at my place?"

"Nao and I were bored at home so we came here to your place to hangout. You let us in."

"Aren't ya gonna get in trouble with Rukawa?"

"She won't find out if you don't snitch on us."

*meow*

"How did you get out of your place anyway? You told me she took your apartment keys."

"I have a duplicate key but she doesn't know that."

*meow*

"Oh and Mana has been busy with work lately so she's always out. I sneak out when she's out."

"How do you know she's headin' back home?"

"She sends a message asking me what food I'd want to have for dinner; she always buys food before heading back home."

Ranmaru sighs and continues reading a book that Masato lent him while Emi is lying down on his lap as she plays a game on her phone; Nao is curled up on Emi's stomach, purring as he sleeps comfortably.

"Ranmaru, if you snitch on me and Nao, I'll run away from you~"

"Nah, I doubt it." He turns to the next page of the book he's reading.

"What makes you say so?"

"I know you well enough to know. Just like the ocean waves returning to the shore, you'll come back to me."

I poke his face. "You tried to be cool by sayin' that, didn't you?"

"Shut up."

* * *

 **Note:** *Kani = means crab in Japanese.


	26. Chapter 25: Cat

**Chapter 25: Cat**

* * *

 **Author's note:** It's been a while! I got so busy because of my university and I've recently started my OJT (on the job training/internship) so I'm always dead when I get back home...hahaha. But I have a surprise! I was able to type around 4 or 5 chapters(?) So expect 1-2 batches of updates huehue. It will not be a happy ride though so brace yourself! I have also decided on an ending for this fanfic so rest assured that I will bring you all upto the end~

* * *

"Good mornin' to ya, Nao. I've got a busy morning today but I'll only be workin' until the afternoon this time."

*meow*

"Come here. Let me take a good look at your cute little face."

*meowww*

This is my human—Nakahara Koemi but she's more known by other humans as the idol called Eika but to me she's Emi; it was the nickname that was most used by my human's favorite human who has already died. Recenlty another human has started to call her often with that nickname and since he's not a bad human, I will allow it; his name is Ranmaru but I like to call him Ranyaru or Nyan-nyan. I have been with my human for a really long time; she was younger when we first met. She's very nice to me and treats me really well so I try to do whatever I can to make her feel at ease like sitting on her face when she lies down on her futon or on the sofa or sit on her music sheets when she's been practicing for too long so that she can rest or meow to defend her from Madoka's lectures when I can.

My human was a very sad human when her favorite human and when her parents had died.

"Guess what? I got a phone call and email from Saotome yesterday. I finally got a date for my solo concert! I was really happy! I'm gonna have my big solo concert on March 13 next year."

*meooow*

That's great! It's great news! I hope Mana will bring me with her at the concert so that I can watch live!

"Do you want to go out to town when I get back, Nao?"

*meow*

"Okay! It's settled then! We'll go out later when I get back. It's a date with just you and me."

*meow*

But now she's happy again and that gives me so much relief. This human is a good human. Good humans deserve to be happy.

*meow*

"Hehe. I love you too, Nao."

I jump out of her arms and head over to Mana's door. I scratch and circle around by the door.

"You want Mana to go with us later? I dunno if that's gonna be possible since she's gonna be at a meeting later. I'll send her an invite just in case thru a message."

*meow*

I head over to her room and grab a shirt with my mouth. I bring it back to her and she takes it from me.

"Why did you get this?"

*meoowww* I circle around her a little.

"Hm…This is the matching shirt that he gave me. Are you tryin' to tell me to invite the monkey too?"

*meow*

"Really?"

*meowwww*

"Fine, fine, fine, I'll invite him too. Sigh. You've really become good friends with that monkey, yeah?"

*meow*

"Well, I guess it'll be the three of us later. I'm pretty sure he'll say he'll come. Sigh. Anyway, I gotta go. I'm commuting today since Mana left earlier for work. See ya later, Nao. Be a good cat as always and guard the fort!"

*meow!*

"That's the spirit. You're more reliable than some humans haha."

Emi closes the front door and the last sound you could hear is the lock.

My human has left again for the day. Now I must be good and must make sure that no stranger invades our home. I do not get lonely whenever I am left alone in the house since I get to play with Mana and my human when they're home and I get lots of attention too from them. Sometimes, I wander out of the house and visit Nyan-nyan but that was only when we were still living in our previous home; now I only get to see him when he comes over to play or when my human and I go out with him. I think Nyan-nyan and my human are now what you call a couple. They both look happy together and seem to be more intimate with one another compared to their other human relations.

*meow*

I start to walk around and peek outside the windows from time to time.

Does that mean I'll see my human's offspring one day? It would be fun to play with her children of the future; I am sure that they will be just as cute as my human and just as kind. I swear on my eight lives that I will protect the offspring with all my might! I will be the best guardian cat they'll ever have!

*meowwww*

I enter my human's room and it's a bit messy.

She left in a hurry. Her things are a bit disorganized. I will help tidy up!

*meow*

I may not have hands but my mouth and paws are enough to move her music sheets and things to where they should be. I remember when my human was younger, I would always help her find her things in her old room because she always misplaces them. It is a good thing that she is no longer as messy and disorganized as she was in the past. My human is improving! So I should improve too!

*meow*

I head over to the living room and drag the remote control of the television onto the sofa. I press a button with my paw and the television opens.

When I have nothing to do, I would turn on the television and watch whatever show I can find interesting; I learned to use this device by observing my human and have been using it whenever I'm home alone. My favorite channel is the one about animals and the music channel because I get to watch my human's performances and interviews; I also sometimes get to see Nyan-nyan and his group's performances.

When it gets cold, it's cozy to stay in Mana's bed or sometimes it's cozy too to bury myself under the sofa's pillows but the best thing to do when it's really cold is to rub against the side of the refrigerator; it's warm.

Hours feel long but as long as I know that my human will come home for the day, I do not mind waiting because just seeing her becomes enough to make me feel happy.

I sometimes wish that cats could have more than nine lives so that I could stay with my human for a longer time and so that I can protect her until she dies but I know that someday I might leave this earth first before she does. I hope that when that day comes, she could still become happy even if I am not by her side. I also hope that she would be surrounded by other humans that love her and will take care of her.

Death is a hard thing to think about—it can be both a sad and happy thing. When my human's favorite human died, she was very sad but at the same time happy because that human was in pain; she no longer felt pain when she died. When my human's parents died, she was very sad too. When my mother and siblings died, I was very sad but at the same time, I think it's okay because it allowed me to meet my human and to live a happy and comfortable life. Sometimes I wonder why we are born only to die later in the future. Are we born just for the sake of experiencing what's it like to live? Are we born to experience joy and suffering? Are we born for no purpose or do we have purpose after all? Do cats go to heaven? Is there good food in heaven?

*meow…*

Hngh. Such complicated thoughts, nya. These thoughts are too complicated and heavy for a cat like me.

*meow*

I don't need to think too much; I only need to continue on living for as long as I can while doing the things I want to do. Nyan. I want to be here just for my human and to make sure she doesn't die before I do.

Let's see, how should I greet my human today when she returns home?

* * *

*click*

"Nao, I'm home!"

*meowww*

Nao jumps towards Emi.

"Whoa! That's a lively greet. How was your day, little guy?"

"He looks like he gained weight." Ranmaru says from behind Emi.

*meow*

I look over my human's shoulder and see Nyan-nyan.

"I told ya he's gonna agree to come with us, Nao. See?"

My human holds me out towards Nyan-nyan.

"Goin' for a day out? How 'bout we go get you something nice to eat for dinner later?"

*meow*

He always knows delicious cat food hehe. I like it when he brings me food as a gift.

"I'm just gonna change my clothes and put on my disguise. You two can wait in the living room. Ranmaru, don't be shy and get somethin' to drink or snack on from the fridge or the cabinets; I won't mind."

"Sure."

My human puts me down before she heads for her room.

*meow*

"Just you and me for now. Let's go hang on the sofa."

*meow*

Nyan-nyan looks cool today as always; he definitely fits to be with my human.

"I wonder where the three of us will end up this time. Do you have a place ya wanna go to, Nao?"

*meow*

I want to go to the fish market, nya!

"Hehe. You're probably thinkin' about food, aren't ya?"

*THUD*

A loud sound suddenly came from my human's room. I quickly jump off of the sofa and run to my human's side. Nyan-nyan got worried too so he follows me into my human's room.

*meowww*

"Emi, are you okay?!"

"Ow, ow, ow, ow…I'm fine. I was tryin' to get my wig from the upper shelf of my cabinet but I lost my balance and fell off of the foot stool."

*meow*

Thank goodness she's fine.

"W-WHAAA! W-WAIT A MINUTE!"

My human suddenly pulls up the clothes surrounding her when she fell and uses it to cover herself.

"R-RANMARU, GET OUT! NOW! GO! SHOO! SHOO!"

"H-H-Hey! What are you getting shy for all of a sudden?! I went in here because I was worried when I heard that loud thump on the floor! Besides, I've seen you naked and you've seen me naked a couple of times already since we—Ouch!"

My human threw some of her things at Nyan-nyan. I'm not too worried though since Nyan-nyan has a thick skull, I think.

*meow*

"T-T-That's not the point, idiot! Just get out right now!"

"Alright, alrighty already! Stop attacking me! Ow!"

*meow*

Oh, there goes the alarm clock. I think it's still working. These two get along so well. It's quite fascinating.

Once Nyan-nyan left the room, my human takes out a piece of clothing from underneath the ones surrounding her.

"I wanted you to get out because of this." She whispers to herself as she looks at the dress she's holding.

*meow*

My human pats my head. "Do you think it's cute, Nao? I bought this the other day because I thought it was cute and because I don't really wear dresses often so I thought that maybe...it would be something different in a good way?"

She puts on the dress and looks at herself in the mirror. I like the smile that she has on her face as she looks at herself. The flowery patterns are very cute and it does make her look more feminine or soft; such a refreshing change.

"Do you think it looks good on me? I like the fit of the dress and it's comfy to wear. Do you think he'll like it too?"

*meow*

Of course he will because you look great as always, my dear human!

I approach her and rub myself against her legs to assure her.

"If you like it then he will probably like it too."

*meow*

"Ranmaru, I'm done changing. You ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'm just gonna drink a glass of—"

Nyan-nyan was drinking milk and upon seeing my human, he disgraciously spits it out. Yuck…Ew.

"Ew, Ranmaru. Disgusting. Clean that up before we go; there's no way I'll clean that up. Ew."

Ranmaru coughs until he feels better. "Sorry 'bout that. Urgh, that was nasty."

"Why did you do that anyway? Sigh." Emi picks up Nao. "Looks like we'll have to wait a little longer before we can head out, Nao. It's the stupid monkey's fault sigh."

"I'm not a stupid monkey, you cute brat!" "

*meow*

"…"

"…"

Nyan-nyan can be amusing. Times like this make me happy; he should be more honest and outspoken with my dear human. Oh, my human's face has turned pink! I hope that she will not get broken.

*meow*

"W-Where's the mop and rag?! I'm gonna clean this up!"

"In the utility cabinet over there. I-I'm gonna go hang some laundry while you clean up! D-Don't take too long!"

"S-Sure!"

*meow*

They're both cute when they're awkward. Humans are interesting creatures; they have so many reactions and expressions.

"Hey Nao, he liked it didn't he?"

*meow*

"It was kind of funny how he spitted out the milk he was drinkin' but it was kinda disgusting too haha. Oh look, this shirt is Mana's right? She has some weird tastes too; I didn't know she likes aliens. I'm gonna try this on hehehe."

My human, why do you like to change the subject whenever you want to talk about your thoughts or feelings? I want to hear more about what you think your future mate thinks of you.

*meooooow*

"We don't have much laundry to hang so we'll go soon. Just as soon as the milk in the living room is gone then we'll head to—Ack! Ah!"

*meow meow meow*

The terrace door slides open and Ranmaru pops out. "The milk is all gone now. Are you—"

"Ranmaru, I've gone blind!"

"Pfft. You're lookin' at the wrong way. I'm at your left side."

My human turns to her left and takes a few steps forward until she bumps into Nyan-nyan. I hope he takes off the shirt from her head already. My human might feel uncomfortable if left that way for too long!

"What kind of shirt is that? The print is so tacky. Aliens? Really?"

"Hey, it's not mine! It's Mana's shirt! Now help me get it out. I tried pulling it off but it won't come off for some reason huhu."

"Stop movin' then. I'll help ya out." Ranmaru pulls the shirt but it won't come off. "What the hell is up with this shirt? I think it's twisted on one side that's why it ain't coming off. C'me towards me a little more so I can pull out the twisted parts."

"Roger that, monkey."

"Stop callin' me a monkey, kid."

*meow*

Hurry! My human needs air to breathe and live! I love my human!

"And…got it!"

Ranmaru suddenly pops out the shirt from my human's head.

"It came off! Yay! Maybe the shirt itself is actually an alien? Maybe Mana raises aliens?"

"There goes your silly head." Ranmaru says as he hangs the shirt on the clothesline. "Let's go?"

"Let's go."

*meow*

Nyan-nyan extends an arm towards me and I jump to him. As usual, I climb up his arm and sit on his shoulder. I've been sitting on his shoulder quite often every time the three of us go out.

"He really likes to stay on your shoulder, doesn't he? Isn't it hard on you though?"

"Nah, the little guy knows how to balance and adapt himself well. I don't have to be cautious or anything."

*meow*

"Alright, if ya say so."

We leave the house and when we enter one of the alleys in the neighbourhood, I see my human and Nyan-nyan hold hands as we walk. With an atmosphere like this, I would feel like their child. Would my human and Nyan-nyan be good parents? They'd probably keep every single day lively and exciting hehe.

*meow*

* * *

"Look at the time; I think we should head somewhere to eat?" Ranmaru asks.

"Where do you wanna eat? I'm fine with anywhere."

"What about the restaurant we went to last month? We haven't been back there since then."

"Sure. The food there is good and they allow pets inside."

*meow*

The three of us arrive at the restaurant and we sit at a table near the left side windows of the restaurant. My human and Nyan-nyan sit across each other; it's kind of a waste that they didn't sit beside each other instead.

"Emi."

"Yeah?"

"Are ya free on April 5-7?"

"Hm? So far I am. Why'd you ask?"

"Ai's wedding is on April 7 and I was wanderin' if you'd attend the wedding with me."

*meow*

"You want me to be your date for Ai's wedding?"

Nyan-nyan nods. "Of course."

My human smiles a little. "Okay, I'll go with you."

Nyan-nyan's face suddenly brightens up

"But if the wedding is on the 7th, why are you askin me if I'm free on the 5th and 6th?"

"I was gonna ask ya if you want to go sightseeing for two days or so… uh with me. Your birthday is on April 21, right? I was thinking that the sightseeing could be like an advanced celebration since we won't be sure about our schedules on your birthday; I don't wanna end up not doing anythin' for your birthday."

"You know what?"

"What?"

"That's a great idea. I'd hug you right now if only we weren't out in public hihi."

*meow*

Good job, Nyan-nyan; my human likes it and so do I.

*purrrr*

"What's with Nao? He's suddenly purring." Ranmaru asks.

"Dunno. I think he's just in a good mood?"

"Do you want to travel together or would you like to just meet at the place?"

"Well, we can't stay together in one hotel since you'll most likely be with Ai and the others. How about we travel together?"

"I'll pick you up?"

"Do you want to?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Then I'll wait for you at my place then. Don't be late."

"I won't be."

"Since you invited me out for a special occassion, I'll invite you out too."

"I'm listening."

"Well the venue and time hasn't been finalized yet but the date is final on March 13 so make sure you'll be free on that day."

"So what's the occasion?"

"It's my first solo concert."

"Whoa. You ain't pullin' my leg on this one are ya?"

"Nope, I got the call and email from Saotome himself yesterday."

"That's great! That's really great! I'm definitely gonna go! We should be celebrating this!"

"Bleh. Wait until the concert itself happens and finishes! If it becomes successful, let's celebrate by then!"

"Of course it'll be successful."

"Can't be sure. I don't wanna be too cocky; things go wrong during the best times."

"Heh. As long as it's you, it's gonna be more than just a regular success."

"Ranmaru, lean a little would ya?"

"Why?"

"Just do it."

"Hm…Why?"

"Aw…You don't trust me."

"Stop that. Stop pouting. I'll do it, I'll do it."

Oh, Nyan-nyan is leaning close to my human. What are they doing?

"Ack!"

My human suddenly pinches his cheek. I wonder why.

"Ow, ow, ow! What was that for?"

"You. Are. Adorable. An adorable monkey."

"Hah? Sigh, you're a weird piece of work."

Nyan-nyan then gives my human a brief kiss before leaning back to his original position.

"Hmm. Hey Emi, no matter how I look at you, the dress really does suit ya. It's looks good on you."

"Hmph. Now you're just tryin' to hit on me again."

"You caught me there."

"If you don't come, I won't forgive you."

"I will be there; I promise. You went to my concerts so of course I'll return the favour and go to yours. I'll be your number one fanboy haha."

"Don't you dare do anything that I'd die from because of embarrassment."

The food arrives and smiles are plastered on our faces. My human and Nyan-nyan continue to talk as we eat as they usually do. When these two are together, not a single moment is quiet but that's a good thing right? It's a good thing.

"By the way Ranmaru, I've already told Mana that we're dating."

"You did?! S-So…How did she take it?"

"Fortunately enough, she took it well; she said that she's okay with it as long as it doesn't get in the way of work. She also said that she kind of had a feeling that we were together already."

"That's typical of her." He chuckles. "I guess I won't have to worry about her kickin' my ass for this then."

"And I won't have to endure a whole lecture of her sermons haha."

My human twirls the straw of her drink and steals a quick glance at Nyan-nyan before looking back at her drink. I decide to sit on her lap to help her stay calm and comfortable as she talks.

"I also asked her about a few things."

"Like?"

"Things like what if I want to…make some changes in my current lifestyle."

"Are you plannin' on being vegetarian?"

"N-No, that's not it. Urgh. I don't think I'll be able to handle being a full blown veggie person."

"So what did ya mean by a change of lifestyle?"

"I'll just get straight to the point since I can't really say it in any other way. Ranmaru, I want to live with you…that is if you want to live with me too."

My human! I did not know that you have been thinking of such a thing. This is quite a surprise! I think it would be fun to live with Nyan-nyan. Please bring me with you too.

*meow meow*

"What made you think of that all of a sudden, Emi?"

"Mana hasn't been home often because she's been getting more work from the agency and it doesn't help to lighten her load that she's set to be promoted next week; she told me that she might have to move out and rent a place closer to the agency because of her work load. When I was home alone one time, I realized that it gets kinda lonely and I get thoughts about how it would be nice to have you around and uhm that it would be nice if we could spend some time together a little more? It's not rooted on just me being lonely; I really just want to be with you more and well I…"

"No can do."

"Eh?"

"You do know that if I'd be near you all the time then I won't be so tamed when we're alone, right?"

"I know."

"You also know that I'd probably turn into a clingy person."

"I know."

"I eat a lot."

"I know."

"I don't sleep with a shirt on."

"I know."

"I'll come home late sometimes."

"So? I get home late too sometimes because of work."

"I'll probably attack you sometimes."

"I'll be prepared to punch the daylights outta ya if ever."

Nyan-nyan sighs at my human's remark.

"I'm a short tempered person—"

"I know."

"I don't like vegeta—"

"I know. If I shove them down your throat, you won't even taste them before they reach your stomach. I can also put 'em in a juicer and shove the juice down your throat thru a funnel." I say with a smile.

"…You—"

"Just kidding~ I was only half serious hehe."

"…Half serious?"

*meow*

"I guess you don't want to live with me afterall; just as I expected."

My human takes out a copy of our house key and shows it to Nyan-nyan.

"I'll just have to find someone else to live with. Maybe I'll just have a stranger pay rent and stay at my place and—"

"I give up. Alright already, I'll live with you Emi." Nyan-nyan takes the key from her hand.

My human smiles at him and then she pats my head.

"Will ya be alright with my place, Ranmaru?"

"I don't mind as long as we share the expenses."

"Okay~"

*meowww*

Nyan-nyan will be living with us! That sounds fun, nya. Now I can play with him more and I'll probably get more treats now hihi.

"So when can I move in?"

"I can help you next weekend if you're okay with that."

"Sure. I don't' have a lot to bring; I"ll probably just bring over my clothes and a couple of other things."

"Want me to ask Mana if she could help us out? We can load your things in her car."

"No need. I'll just use my bike."

"Bike? As in a bicycle?"

"Motorcycle."

"Eh?! You have one?! Since when?"

"It's not exactly mine. An old friend of mine and I bought the bike together in the past; we each paid half the amount of the thing. Now we take turns using it whenever we need it. I don't use it often though since I don't really travel far or bring lots of things around."

"Interesting. You'd totally look like a delinquent if ya wore the right clothes hahaha."

"Shut up. Damn you."

"Bleh~"

"The bike has a side care accessory; I'll attach it and load my things there."

"So where do I sit?"

"Where else? You'll be riding on the bike; you'll be sitting behind me."

"I'll hug you tight from behind."

"Not too tight; I won't be able to breath."

"I'll crush you like the monkey that you are."

"Try me, kid."

*meoooooowwwwwww*

There they go at it again. Sigh.

"Hey Ranmaru, let's stop by the arcade later! I challenge you to a round at the City Fighter machine!"

"Heh, feelin' confident heh? You won't beat me!"

"We'll see about that! The loser has to do the laundry and cleaning for a week."

"I'm game!"

"Prepare yourself! I won't help you with the chores even if you beg me!"

"As if I'll lose to a kid like you!"

That evening, Ranmaru learned the taste of defeat as he lost five consecutive matches against Koemi in the arcade. Only Nao sympathized with his humiliation and defeat.

"Can we go best out of twelve?"

"No way, Ran-ran. You lost fair and square so suck it up."

"Curse you!"

"Bleh!"

* * *

Nyan-nyan ended up staying at our home for the night; they enjoyed too much today. It is quite strange as to why he would sleep half undressed but I guess it is comfortable for him. I could not sleep beside my human as there was no space since she shared her bed with Nyan-nyan. I don't mind since the two look peaceful and happy while they were asleep together.

I am happy as long as my human is happy. I will continue to stay by her side until the end and support her in any way that I can.

I am a cat but not just any cat—I am my human's cat.

*meow*

Mana's bed is comfy too. I should try sleeping here more often when she is not around.

* * *

Alright, time to wait right here by the entryway; it's my cue.

*tick tock tick tock tick tock*

It's too quiet during this time of the day; it's boring.

*tick tock tick tock tick tock*

But if I just wait a little longer, everything will light up and be lively again.

*meoowwww*

I can hear their footsteps!

*click*

The door unlocks and the moment it opens, the voice I hear every day greets me.

"We're home, Nao!"

*meow!*

"Wha! You jumped higher than usual today! Where you bored while we were at work?"

*meow*

"We're back." Nyan-nyan says as he pats my head while I savor my position in my human's arms.

*purrrrr*

"He's a happy lil' guy."

"He was probably bored while we were out for work. Hey, how about we play a little with one of your toys in the living room, yeah?"

*meow*

"Hahaha! His ears and tail shot right up after he heard you, Ranmaru. Here, you take him for now while I unload the groceries."

"Ya sure? Need any help?"

"I'm fine; we didn't buy too much anyway. Go ahead and play with Nao; he's excited haha."

*meoooow*

Nyan-nyan pets me in his arms. "You heard her. Let's have some fun over there."

After playing with him for a while, I notice that something is in his pocket. I insert my head into his pocket to check it out.

"Oi! What are ya doin'?"

*meow*

"Hey, hey, stop that. I'll take it out and show it to ya. You're a nosy cat sometimes, huh? Here, look at this."

He opens a small box.

*meooow*

"You think it looks good?"

*meow* There's one earring in the box; it's silver and shiny.

"I bought a pair these earrings. I'm giving this one to Emi. Its partner piece is right here; I'm wearing it already." He points to his left ear. "I was thinkin' of buying two pairs so that we'd have a complete pair each but I couldn't afford another pair."

Nyan-nyan stands up and heads into the kitchen; I follow right behind him.

"You cooking somethin'? I hope it has no vegetables."

"Fortunately there're no vegetables this time."

"Yay." He says sarcastically has he hugs my human from behind.

"Why are you bein' clingy now?" My human asks Nyan-nyan.

"Can't I be clingy whenever I feel like it?"

"Whatever." My human continues to cook.

"Stay still for a moment, 'kay?"

"Huh? What are you doing?"

Nyan-nyan removes the earring that my human is wearing on her right ear. He then puts on the earring that he bought on her.

"There. Looks good on ya."

My human puts down the spatula she was using and touches her right ear. She takes out her cell phone and uses her phone's camer to look at the earring.

"Oh, this is pretty! Where'd you get this? It doesn't come as a pair?"

She looks at Nyan-nyan and notices that his left ear has an earring but his right ear doesn't have one. "You…"

"What?"

"…Why can you be so cute at times?!" My human then kisses him briefly and leans her forehead on his arm. "I like it. Thank you."

*meow*

She looks so happy that it makes me happy too. Nya~

"Ranmaru."

"Yeah?"

"I can't cook properly with you clinging on to me like this. Can you let go of me now?"

Nyan-nyan puts an arm around my human's waist and pulls her closer to him. He then takes the spatula that she put down earlier and starts to mix the food in the pan.

"Then just stay like this and I'll cook the rest."

"What—Sigh. You and your whims."

*meow*

"If you ain't gonna refuse my whims then I'll take it that you don't mind."

"Whatever, monkey."

My human takes a quick glance at Nyan-nyan and then looks back at the food they're cooking.

"You've got somethin' to say, Emi?"

"Eh? No, I don't."

"You ain't fooling me. When you look at me like that, you've got somethin' in your mind you wanna say yeah?"

"I hate the fact you're catching on to my habits."

Nyan-nyan chuckles.

"I was just thinkin' if you'd want to go with me to my hometown. I kinda want to introduce you to Auntie and the rest of my friends back at my hometown."

"I've met your aunt already once before."

"Eh?! You have?! When did the two of you meet?!"

"That time when you were in the hospital and needed a blood transfusion, she was there."

"Oh right! Mana told me that she left after I got the transfusion. You two spoke to each other?"

"A little. We got acquainted."

"Hmm, then it's okay; I'll _formally_ introduce ya to her and the others."

"They'll kill me."

"If you hurt me or break my heart, yeah they will."

"And why would I do that?"

"Who knows? Maybe you'll come to hate me at one point or maybe you'll grow tired of me in the future."

"Don't think that way. To tell ya the truth, I decided to get serious with you with the thought and aim of staying with ya for a long time. So don't go losing hope on me 'cause I ain't losing hope in ya, Emi."

My human is staring at Nyan-nyan. He did say something cool after all nyan.

"W-What're you staring at me like that for?"

"…Because hearing a serious Ranmaru like that is so weird."

"Weird?"

"Either way, you're still charming."

"…"

"The food is gonna burn if you don't act quickly. Everything was already well done minutes ago. I was waiting for you to take them out of the pan already."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You said to stay put and let ya do the cookin'."

"Urgh. Hand me some plates, could ya?"

"Here you go, master chef." My human says playfully.

"Oh shut it."

"If the food burns or tastes bad, you're buyin' us food."

"Urk..I hope the food is still okay."

*meow*


	27. Chapter 26: Premonition

**Chapter 26: Premonition**

*click clack*

"Hey, I'm home"

*meow meow meow meow meow*

Nao abruptly and starts to pull on his pants' hem.

"Oi, oi, oi, what're ya doin'?!"

Nao releases his pants and meows aggressively before pulling his pants again.

"What're you trying to do?!"

Nao releases his pants and runs towards the living room while meowing. Ranmaru follow him and upon entering the living room, Nao then runs towards Emi's bedroom; his meowing is louder than ever. Ranmaru enters Emi's bedroom. On the floor, by her bed, Emi is hunched over her bed.

"Emi!"

Hearing her name, Emi looks up a little and sees Ranmaru.

"Welco…me ba..c…k." she says weakly.

She's pale, shivering, and sweating.

"Come on, let's get you to your bed!"

"O…ay."

*meow meow meow meow meow*

"Are you feelin' comfortable, Emi? Is this okay?"

"Ye…ah." She closes her eyes and stops responding.

Ranmaru gets a basin of water and two clean towels. He wipes the sweat off of her with one towel and uses the other to cool her head after soaking it a little with water.

*meow*

Nao rubs his face on Emi's hand.

"Don't wake her up; she'll need to rest. Why'd she get sick? She was alright this morning when I left."

*moew*

"Sigh, I'll go make her something to eat. You stay here and guard her, 'kay?"

*meow*

* * *

I open my eyes and see Ranmaru sitting beside my bed. I try to get up but he stops me.

"Don't get up. You're not in a good condition so you just stay down, ya hear me?"

"You make it sound like I'm a dead man—ouch! Why'd you hit my head?!"

"Don't talk like that, idiot kid."

"Hmph."

"You were alright this mornin' so how'd you become like this?"

I think for a moment.

"Well? Got anything?"

"I think it's because I went to the hospital this morning to visit Akane. Maybe I caught a flu there?"

"You went to visit Akane? Did something happen to her?"

"…"

I sit up on the bed but once my head was up, a terrible headache hits me and I stagger a little.

"Oi, I told you to stay down, didn't I?!" Ranmaru assist me.

I lean my face on his chest and tell him, "I got a call from Akane's parents—they told me that Akane got transferred into ICU; her cancer has become worse all of a sudden."

Ranmaru says nothing and instead wraps his arms around me to hug me.

"When I got to the hospital, Akane's mother ran up to me with tears flowing out of her red eyes. Akane's dad was there too; his face was glued to Akane as he watched the nurses and doctor attending to Akane in the ICU. When I saw Akane thru the glass window, I felt a really heavy feeling. Her face was in pain and her complexion was really pale. Her eyes were only slightly open; her eyes were filled with pain and sadness. I couldn't help it and I ended up crying too but I did my best to stop my tears; I can't cry when Akane's mom was in such a bad state 'cause it won't help lift her spirit up even a little. Before a nurse closed the curtain on the glass window, I saw Akane look at our direction and she saw me straight in the eyes; I immediately smiled and placed a fist against my chest near my heart; I also gave her a nod. She smiled. Her expression didn't move but I could see her smile thru her eyes…"

Ranmaru's hug becomes tighter as my voice cracked.

"Akane…I'm worried about Akane…Will she end up like Yasuko, Ranmaru?"

"Shhh, that's enough. I'll go visit Akane tomorrow or the day after; I want to see her too. For now, just get some rest and try to recover. I know you're worried about Akane but it won't help you get better."

He helps me lie down and he gets in my bed too, lying down right beside me.

"Let's just believe that everything will turn out alright. For now, let yourself rest. I'll be right here until you sleep; even Nao will be right here on the other side."

*meow*

"Get some sleep, Emi."

"Okay…"

I close my eyes and not too long after, I find myself drifting off to sleep.

"Nao, I'll continue cooking after a while. You stay by her side and call for me if she needs help. I'll count on you later. For now, I just wanna be here beside her."

Rest…Calm down…Recover…That's what I need right now. I have to get back on my feet so that I can find out what can I do now to help her. Anything, I'll do anything to ease her pain even by a tiny bit and I'll do anything to help her recover; I don't care how much or whatever I have to do, if it means that she'll live or even be cured then I'll do it.

I was expecting a peaceful sleep but I had a dream—a dream.

There was a beautiful sea but the wind was quite strong and the waves were quite rough. I walked down the shore and saw someone standing at the shore—it was Yasuko listening to music thru her favorite pair of headphones. I called out to her but she couldn't hear me thru the music she was listening to. I ran up to her but the closer I got to her, the farther she seemed to be; it was as if the shore was stretching as I ran further down. As I ran to her, a little girl approaches Yasuko with a bright smile—it was Akane. Yasuko removed her headphones and talked with Akane; I couldn't hear what they were talking about but they both seemed happy. I called out to Yasuko and Akane. Yasuko turned to me and upon seeing me, she smiled widely and waved at me. Akane noticed me too and waved at me. I waved back at them as I ran towards them even faster.

But then…

A big wave came from the sea and engulfed them both. I suddenly stopped running as my heart sank while the wave drowned them without mercy. Once the wave returned to the sea, not a single trace of both Yasuko and Akane was left on the shore; I couldn't even find them in the sea—they just disappeared.

"Yasuko! Akane!" I frantically shouted.

I couldn't find them…I couldn't see them no matter where my eyes went to search for them; on land, in the sea, I even looked up at the sky—they were nowhere to be found. A big shadow suddenly then loomed over me. When I turned around, it was a big wave that was about to eat me in the same way that it ate Yasuko and Akane a while ago.

As I closed my eyes at that moment, all I could hear then was the sound of water and my screams that were stuck in my head. I suffocated and the sensation seemed so real.

*meowww*

I suddenly wake up, drenched in my sweat. I quickly get out of bed and run towards the living room. I suddenly stop running and fall to my knees near the center table in the living room. I want to scream and to shout but my voice won't come out. My heart is beating so fast and furiously that I can hear it clearly.

* * *

"This much should be enough for her for now; I don't think she has much of an appetite now."

I remove my apron and toss is on one of the counters. I look up the ceiling and close my eyes for a few seconds. I let out a deep long sigh when Nao suddenly came running into the kitchen.

*meow meow meow*

He bites the hem of my pants again and tugs on it.

"Somethin' happened?"

*meowwww*

I follow Nao into the living room and see Emi on the floor staring into space, drenched in sweat.

"Emi, what are you doing here?! You should be in bed. Are you alright? Emi?"

She's not answering me. I shake her up a little but she just continues to stare off into the distance.

I take hold of her head and put her forehead against mine. "Emi!"

Her eyes suddenly widen and she looks at me straight in the eyes.

"Ran…maru?"

She looks around her and then she hugs me. I'm not liking her behavior; it's concerning me.

"You alright?"

She pulls my hands away. "I'm alright. It's nothing. I'll…just go take a bath; I'm covered in sweat and I don't like the feeling."

"Okay. You'll be alright on your own?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Just take a quick bath; you're a little warm so you might be getting a fever."

"Okay."

"Let's eat after you get outta bath; I made some food."

She nods and heads off into the bathroom. Nao pokes at my hand.

*meow*

"I'm gonna stay here. I'll wait 'til she gets out of the bathroom just in case something happens. You should get in the bathroom with her. Just meow as usual if anything happens inside. Go."

Nao obediently goes after Emi into the bathroom without hesitation.

* * *

*meow*

"Nao? What're you doing in here?"

*meow*

"You're looking after me too, huh? I don't mind. I'm just gonna fill up the tub first."

I turn on the faucet and watch the water slowly dominate the bath tub in front of me.

*meow*

"Hm? Ah, it's nothing. I was just thinking about some nonsense haha. Don't mind me."

*meow*

"Hey, don't worry so much! I'm fine! Just a little sick but I'm totally okay. I'll get all better after some rest and some overprotective tender loving care from you and Ranmaru hehe."

*meowww*

"I love you too, Nao."

I pat his head several times before getting inside the bath tub. The water is comfortably warm; it's relaxing. The sound of the water though makes me feel a little anxious from time to time.

* * *

Hngh…I fell asleep? What time is it already? Did Emi get out of the bath—

I look down on my lap and see Emi with a towel hanging on her shoulders; she's asleep. Nao is curled up right beside her leg on the floor.

"Emi, wake up. If you're gonna sleep, sleep on your bed and not like that seated on the floor."

"Hnn…"

She wakes up a little and looks up at me. I can tell she's still half asleep.

"Will ya make it to your bed, Emi?"

She yawns and rubs her eye a little. "I dunno."

"Sigh. Come here, don't stay on the floor; at least lie down here on the sofa properly."

She nods and sleepily gets on the sofa. I scoot over to the side of the sofa so that she could lie down. The moment she lies down and closes her eyes, she falls asleep quickly. I decide to fetch her pillow and blanket from her room; it'll be more comfortable and warmer.

"Her eyes were a little sore. She cried in the bathroom, didn't she?"

*meow*

"I can't blame her for feelin' low. Akane is a kid that's important to her; when they're together, you can mistake them as siblings and I know that she sees her old friend Yasuko in Akane. Losing another good friend ain't gonna be easy for her."

*meow*

"I'll transfer her to her bed a little later. She might wake up if I carry her now. Keep her warm by snuggling up to her, got that Nao?"

*meow*

With his tail waving left and right, he gently squeezes himself in Emi's arms and pretends to be something like a stuffed toy; it's cute.

"Good job."

*meow*

"I'll be right here by your side with Nao. I hope you won't forget that, Emi."


	28. Chapter 27: Akane-chan

**Chapter 27: Akane-chan**

"Emi-neesan…Emi-neesan…Where is Emi-neesan?!"

"Please hold on for a little longer, Akemi-chan! We'll contact her as soon as we can! For now, just listen to the doctors and nurses, okay? Be a good little girl." The nurse says as she holds Akemi's hand tightly.

"Emi-neesan…I want to see Emi-neesan…!"

"Do your best to endure this, Akane-chan. Okay?" The nurse says before she leaves my side to help out the other nurses.

As I cry and cry, someone suddenly takes hold of my hand; it's warm and comforting. I open my eyes and see beside me a kind looking oneesan.

"Who…are you?" I ask her.

"Hello Akane-chan, I'm Yasuko."

"Yasuko-neesan? Are you Emi-neesan's friend?"

She nods with a warm smile. "Yes, I'm Emi's friend. I'm sure she tells stories about me with other people."

"She does a lot. You two were very close friends."

"Yeah; we had a great time together. You became good friends with Emi too, right?"

I nod. "We're best friends too! If I had a sister, I hoped she'd be like Emi-neesan!"

Yasuko chuckles. "Emi would have been a very interesting sister."

"Yasuko-neesan, am I going to die?"

Yasuko's smile becomes a little sad.

"Akane-chan, it's going to be really painful from now on; I should know. Fight back as much as you can; do it for your family and for your friends. But if you can no longer fight back, I'll be right here to wait for you."

Akane's grip on Yasuko's hand loosens as she closes her eyes.

"Doctor! The patient's condition is getting worse!" A nurse shouts.

* * *

"How's it going over there, Emi?"

"Well, the concert hasn't started yet but the crowd is cheering on really loudly; they're all so hyped up that I can hear them all the way here in my dressing room at the backstage!"

"Damn. I really wish I could come to your concert. I really wanna see ya perform live."

"Well, I wish I could be with you for Ai's wedding. Sigh, we can't do anything about it. My concert got moved to today, April 6, and I was given a second day for the concert which is the same day as Ai's wedding tomorrow—the 7th; the tickets sold out too fast and too many fans requested a second day so the agency and promoters agreed to giving a second day for the concert. There's no way I'll make it back in time tomorrow for the concert since Ai's wedding starts in the morning, right?"

"Yeah, you won't make it since your concert is during the afternoon tomorrow. I'm gonna be watching you tonight online on my phone here at the hotel; I paid for the online viewing."

"You paid?! I could have just told Mana to let ya watch for free."

"Nah, forget it. I'm supportin' your concert so shut it."

"If you say so." I say to him playfully. "Thanks!"

"Good luck to ya even though I know that you don't need it."

"True that. I'm gonna hang up, I have to start on getting my hair and makeup done and change into my clothes for the concert. Tell me what you think about my performance when we talk again?"

"Sure, I'll probably sound like your fanboy or somethin'. Haha."

"Well you are my number one fanboy, yeah?"

We both laugh over the phone.

"Congratulate Ai and Kaori for me. See you soon, Ranmaru."

"See you soon, Emi."

I end the call and my stylist starts preparing her things.

*knock knock knock*

"Come in."

"Missssss Eikaaaaaa! The crowd issss amazingggg!"

"Oh, it's you. Hi." I say in a deadpan tone.

"I came to pass by to wish you luck on your firstttttt solo concert! Bwahahaha!"

"Thanks a lot Saotome but I don't need luck when I've got the talent and skills." I say proudly.

"That is true. I am also here to remind you of our agreement regarding your concert and career."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. We agreed that I'd have to have a good sales projection for the concert tickets, I have to get good reviews in the magazines and interviews to come after the concert, and I have to have a good sales projection too on the DVDs of the concert, right?"

"Cooooooorrrectttttt! But let's not forget what happens when you fail to accomplish those."

"Don't worry, I didn't forget. If I don't meet your minimum standard or if the concert ends up bein' a failure, then I'll be kicked out Shining Agency."

"This concert of yours was given a bigger budget than usual since the board of the agency and I had developed a great confidence in your capabilities as an idol. It would hurt the agency if this project will not prosper, Miss Eika."

"I know. Don't worry because I'm pretty sure this concert is gonna give the agency's money's worth."

"I like that confidence of yours very much, Missss Eika! I shall leave you now. I'll be watching from the audience!"

"'kay."

Before Saotome could leave, I receive a phone call—it's from Kurishima Hospital. I immediately got on my feet and answered the call frantically. This piques Saotome's curiousity and he stays in the room.

"Hello? Yes?...What?! What happened?! How is she?!"

All of my enthusiasm and excitement crumbled on the spot and my heart sank as I listened to the nurse speaking to me thru my phone. The more she spoke, the heavier my heart became and the lower it sank inside of my soul. It was hard to breathe, hard to swallow, hard to think of anything except one scenario playing thru my head—a familiar scenario of the past.

"I'll be right there! I'll head straight to the hospital! Please tell her that I'm coming to see her!" I say loudly before ending the call.

I immediately look at Saotome who gets shocked by the expression on my face; my face is probably filled with utter worry and grief—something people are not used to seeing.

"Saotome! I…I have to be somewhere right now! I have to go to a dying child's side! I have to be there for her! I can't leave her alone!"

Saotome says nothing for a moment, leaving silence looming over us until he says to me, "Miss Eika, I think that something very important for you has suddenly caught your attention and I respect that. You are free to go now if you wish but I cannot bend the rules of our agreement since you made that agreement not only with me but with the board of directors—the entirety of the agency and its partners. If you choose to go now, I have the feeling that you won't be able to return on time or at all and that will lead to the failure of this concert which will ultimately lead to your end as an idol under Shining Agency and a stain on your career. If you choose to stay, then you will be able to open a new chapter in your career and you will most definitely get more opportunities to hold more concerts and performances—your long awaited wish from the agency. You will shine brighter than ever; so bright that the whole of Japan will be blinded by you and perhaps your shine will even stretch out to other countries."

"I…Saotome—!"

"I will not persuade you to stay or to go; I just want to make sure that you know what you hold at the moment and weigh the choices that you have. Whichever decision you will choose, I just want it to be chosen with a fair chance against the other. I hope that you will be able to choose whichever is truly more important to you with no regrets."

"Even if you didn't tell me all those things, I would have made the same decision that I am going to make right now."

"And that would be?"

I stand firmly on front of him and give him a deep bow. With my head still down, I say to him, "Thanks for the opportunities that you and the agency gave me. I had a great time. No, it was wonderful; I won't forget it. I hope we'll meet again in the future. Thank you for everything. Until next time."

I lift myself back up and Saotome gives me a nod without saying anything. I nod back at him before grabbing my backpack and running out of the dressing room.

"Saotome sir, what will happen now?" The makeup artist asks him in worry.

"It seems that the concert will not be pushing thru." He walks to the door. "I must inform our dear guests."

* * *

"Eika! Eika! Eika! Eika! Eika!"

"Man, the crowds are so energetic."

"What are you watching on your phone, Ranmaru?" Ai asks.

"It's the online viewing for Emi's concert."

"Ohhh! Let me see! Let me see! I want to watch it too!" Reiji says as he gets behind Ranmaru.

"Has it begun?" Camus asks.

"It was supposed to start some minutes ago but ever since they started the online viewing, it just shows the crowd and the stage. I don't think the concert has started yet."

"Could there be some technical difficulties?" Ai asks.

"Nah, I don't think so. It's really strange that it hasn't started yet."

The screen then shows Saotome entering the stage and takes one of the microphones.

"What's Shiny doing on stage? Is he the opening act? That would be surprising." Reiji asks.

Saotome waves his hand to signal the people in charge of the background music that is playing to stop it for a moment. The crowd then settles down a little as he starts to speak to them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have an important announcement to make tonight."

The crowd starts to generate the sound of murmurs and the air of restlessness starts to settle in.

"I would like to inform you all that unfortunately this concert will not be pushing thru—this concert is cancelled."

The crowd becomes noisy and upset; a handful of the audience verbally express their concern and disappointment regarding the cancellation of the concert.

"Please settle down. Those who have purchased tickets for the second day of the concert will also be refunded. We will refund your tickets and we will also give you all some freebies upon refunding your tickets at the counters and from authorized ticket sellers. We deeply apologize for this and I hope to see you all in the future events brought to you by Shining Agency and its talents. Thank you and have a good evening."

The online broadcast then fades into black with the words 'broadcast has ended' popping out in white font after a few seconds.

"…What the hell was that?!" Ranmaru suddenly says. "The concert got cancelled?!"

"Why on earth did the concert get cancelled?" Camus ponders. "Could there have been a problem with Eika?"

"That would be one of the possibilities." Ai says. "However, I would not understand why or what could have happened. She has been waiting for her opportunity to hold a solo concert so I doubt that she would have done something to negatively affect her own concert."

Ranmaru suddenly stands up from the sofa and attempts to call Emi's phone. It rings and rings but Emi doesn't pick up.

"She's not answering?" Reiji asks. "Maybe you can try calling her manager?"

Ranmaru attempts to call Madoka.

"…Hello?"

"Rukawa, why was Emi's concert cancelled?!"

A loud screeching sound can be heard from the phone; Madoka most likely stepped on the brakes of her car too hard. "WHAT?! I haven't heard of this yet! Where did you hear that from?!"

"I was watchin' the live broadcast online. The concert didn't start on time and then Saotome suddenly appeared on stage and announced that the concert was cancelled!"

"What?! Have you heard anything from Emi about this?!"

"I kept calling her cell but she won't pick up."

"Tsk! I'm gonna try calling her. Don't hang up; I'll switch back to your call after."

"Alright."

Minutes pass and Madoka returns to Ranmaru's call.

"She's not answering my calls either!"

"Where do you think did she go?!"

"I don't know but I'll head for the concert grounds and see if she's in the backstage; if she's not there then I'll ask around. I'll update you if I find anything or if I get hold of her or find her. You update me too if anything new comes up."

"'kay, I leave it to ya Rukawa."

Ranmaru ends the call.

"What did the manager say?" Camus asks him.

"She can't get a hold of Emi either."

"Oh no! Where could Emi-chan be?! Maybe she became sick before her concert started?! Or maybe she got stuck in the bathroom just like what happened to me before our debut as Quartet Night in the past?!"

"Would you shut up, Reiji?! She's not an idiot like you!"

"Whaaa I'm telling Emi-chan that you hurt my feelings, Ran-ran! How could you?!"

"Hell if you can find her just to tell on me then I'd be glad to beat you up to motivate ya."

"Whaaa! D-Don't! You're becoming scary, Ran-ran! Don't hurt me, please!"

"Calm down, Ranmaru. It won't help if you don't keep your cool." Ai says as he takes hold of Ranmaru's wrist. "You know well it won't help if you're like this."

"Tch." Ranmaru lets out an irritated sigh and lies down on his bed with his back turned to everyone.

Ai smiles a little seeing that Ranmaru is putting some effort in calming himself down. "Perhaps we should all just rest for tonight and hope for the best that we'll hear from or about Emi by tomorrow or so."

"That woul be the wisest decision." Camus says. "We must have energy for tomorrow; we can't have the groom be late for his own wedding."

"My, my, my, that would be a problematic situation! Kaori-chan will get a heart attack if that happens; she'll think that you changed your mind on marrying her."

Ai elbows Reiji and pouts. "I'd never think of that."

"Hehehe, I know! Good night Ai-Ai, My-chan, and Ranran!"

Camus nods as he finishes his tea.

"Good night." Ai says as he gets in his bed.

"'night." Ranmaru says.

* * *

"Excuse me! Please get outta way!" I say harshly as I dash thru the hallways of the hospital.

The nurse in the phone said that Akane is being treated in her room—Room 412. This feeling that makes you feel like you're walking on a long tightrope with a short time limit, I don't like this—I hate this. If I trip or let my pace slow down, it's as if I'll never reach the end; I won't reach the person waiting on the other end.

"Akane!" I say loudly as I enter the room.

"Excuse ma'am, you can't come in here." One of the nurses says to me.

"WHAT?!"

"Wait! Let her stay! She's the person that Akane-chan has been waiting for!" Another nurse says. "Akane-chan, your Emi-neesan has arrived. Look, she's here for you."

I immediately go over to her side and take her hand. Her eyes slowly open and upon seeing me, a gleam in her eyes touches my heart.

"Emi-neesan…You came." She smiles at me with the strength she has left in her. "I'm so glad."

"Of course I'd come. I always come when you call for me."

"Thank you, Emi-neesan. You're the best."

Her grip on my hand suddenly becomes tight.

"Hey, are you okay? Does it hurt somewhere? Do you want me to tell the nurses and the doctors?"

"No, it's okay. It's just the normal pain."

"You sure?"

She nods to me with a smile.

"Emi-neesan, I'm sorry that I called for you today. Today was your concert…and I-"

"No, no, no, no, no, don't say you're sorry. I don't mind it at all! I can always hold another concert someday in the future. My time with you is more important, Akane-chan; nothing can replace it ever."

"Emi-neesan, thank you for taking care of me and for helping mama and papa. You're a really kind person. I'm happy that I got to meet…you. If I had an older sister, I want her…to…be…like you. Thank…you for…e…verything…Emi…neesa…n…"

The hand that gripped mine ever so tightly gradually relaxed until it no longer held my trembling hand. Her sweet gentle voice that called my name several time and spoke of many stories ceased to speak. The eyes of the child I've grown close to and took care of continued to look at me but the spark of life was no longer in those precious eyes of hers.

She smiled at me brightly—she smiled brighter than the sun ever did for me until the very end.

Until the very end.

"A…Akane-chan?" My voice came out trembling as I called her name. "Akane?! Akane?! Doctor! Nurse! Akane-chan! Akane! Hey, Akane!"

I called out her name several times but she didn't respond. I'm just next to her but she feels so far away…just like Yasuko.

As if on cue, the monitor suddenly became flat as the doctors and nurses come to Akane's side. The long familiar beeping sound echoed throughout the room, silencing all the voices and noises caused by the medical staff; even my internal screams seem to be silenced by the sound of the monitor.

"AKANE!"

I shouted and shouted her name with all I had. All the grief and frustration freed every other emotion that I had eating inside of me. A new wound had opened over the death of another beautiful soul; even the old wounds in my heart opened in grief.

"Akane! I wish…I-I wish that I could have done more to help you; I wish that I could have made you smile more! I wish that you didn't die! Why the angels on earth are are the ones who always get taken away? If I could exchange my life for yours, I would! If I could give my life to you right now so that you could come back and continue living, I would! If it meant that you could come back and live a healthy life, I would really give myself up for you!"

Cold streams of tears fall from my eyes endlessly as my cries pour out of me. This grief…it annoys me how familiar it is—how it comes back to haunt me and to remind me of so many painful memories. I know that we humans aren't immortal—that one day we will die—but the time we spent with those who become close to us is too painful to see to end before our eyes; it makes it too painful to lose someone.

"Doctor, the patient!"

*beeeeepppppp*

The monitor didn't change; not even once no matter what they did. The doctor closes his eyes in anger after looking at the clock.

"Patient is Uwamoto Akane. Time of death is 9:37pm. Cause of death is…"

I go over to Akane and gently close her beautiful eyes. She seems like she's merely asleep and that she'd wake up any moment now but I know that I can't believe that lie; I know that the dead do not return no matter how much you cry or beg. I kiss Akane's hand and hold it against my forehead. With my heart, I gave her one last gift—a prayer.

I head out of the room and fall on my knees and hands in the hallway.

"Akane?! Where's my daughter?! What?! No! Akaneee!"

I hear Akane's mother running down the hall and into the room; the father follows and I hear him scream the moment he enters the room. From the hallway, I can hear them crying and screaming over their beloved daughter's death. I can hear it loud and clear.

"Yasuko, if you can hear me, please take care of Akane; don't leave her alone up there."

More tears fell from my eyes as I get up on my feet and make my way out of the hospital. I can't…I can't…

*ringgggg ringggg *

I take my phone out of my pocket and see that the caller ID is Saotome. I decide to answer the call, holding back my tears.

"What is it, Saotome?"

"I just want you to know that the agency has finalized the paperworks for your termination as a talent under Shining Agency."

"Okay."

"I don't mean to pry but Ms. Nakahara, you sound terrible. May I ask what happened after you left? If there is anything I could help you with, I'll gladly help y—"

I hang up on him.

"Shut the crap up, Saotome. I don't wanna hear your voice at the moment." I grumble.

I dial my Auntie's number.

"…Hara-chan? Suzy and Lucy told me that your concert was cancelled; they were really upset since they were excited to watch you in the concert grounds. What happened?"

"Auntie…Akane…she's gone."

"…"

"I just came out of Kurushima hospital. She died…I was by her side until the end…"

"…Koemi, condolences. She's in a better place now; at least she won't be suffering anymore."

"Auntie, I'll be comin' home."

"Eh? When?"

"I'll go right now."

"You sure? Shouldn't you tell your manager or the agenc—"

"I don't have to since I've been fired from Shining Agency."

"What?! Why?!"

As I walk down the street, I tell Auntie about the agreement with Saotome and the agency.

"So it ends just like that?!"

"Yeah."

"Are you okay with it, Hara-chan?"

"Yeah."

"You don't sound convincing to me."

"I'll be passing by my place first to get some things. I'll message ya when I'm near the town. See you later, Auntie."

"You want me to contact Suzy and Lucy to meet up with ya and you three come home here together?"

"No…I want to be alone on the trip."

"Okay. See you later, Hara-chan. Take care. I'll be waitin' for you. I really will be waitin' even if ya get here past midnight, ya hear?"

"Yea, I hear you. Don't tell anyone else about this, even Mana; I…don't want to see or talk to anyone else but you at the moment. Bye."

I end the call and stare up at the sky—there're no stars in sight tonight.

* * *

*meow*

"Hey Nao…I'm back."

*meow*

"The concert didn't push thru and the kid I've told you about before, remember Akane-chan? She died today at the hospital. I went to her and that's why the concert got cancelled and I got fired from the agency. Sad, isn't?"

Nao's ears and tail flops down; he's silently looking at me.

"Well, I'm gonna be visiting Auntie for a while. I came back to get a few things to bring with me."

*meowww*

"No, I won't be takin' you with me. I want you to stay here and look after the house and after Ranmaru too."

*meooooowwwww*

"Hey, don't complain…I don't have any energy to persuade ya right now; just listen to me. Look, I'll come back, okay? I just need some time…to sort myself out. If you're left here at home, Ranmaru and Mana will think and know for sure that I'll come back. Everyone knows very well that I don't have the heart to leave ya; you're precious to me too, Nao."

*meow*

"I'll bring you some treats from Auntie when I get back and I'll gettcha a new toy, yeah?"

*meow*

"Don't be sad." I pat his head. "Don't be like me."

*meow…*

I put a few change of clothes into my backpack and some other necessities and head out.

*meow*

Nao rubs around my leg and looks up at me. I pick him up and put my forehead against his.

"I'll come back. I'll come back. I won't do anything like the things I did back when Yasuko died; I won't hurt myself. I'll come back to you and Ranmaru safely." I hug him in my arms. "I'll just go heal a little. I can't face anyone the way I am now. Even for this brief moment, it's hard to keep my composure, Nao."

*meow*

"I love you, Nao. So don't worry; I'll come back to and for you."

*meow*

"Yes, yes, also for Ranmaru and Mana."

I take out a small paper and wrote something on it. I fold it in half and tie it on Nao's collar.

"Just keep your collar on until Ranmaru sees this note, okay? I have to go now. Take care."

Just as I said to Nao, all I could write on that little piece of paper was 'I'll come back home when I can.'


End file.
